•The 
Gibson  Upright 

By 
BOOTH  TARKINGTON 

and 
HARRY  LEON  WILSON 


GARDEN  CITY  NEW  YORK 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

1919 


COPYRIGHT,  1919,  BY 

DOUBLEDAY,  PAGE  &  COMPANY 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED,  INCLUDING  THAT  OF 

TRANSLATION  INTO  FOREIGN  LANGUAGES, 

INCLUDING  THE  SCANDINAVIAN 

THE  STAGE  PRODUCTION  OF  THIS  PLAY  IS  BY  STUART  WALKER 


COPYRIGHT,  1919,  BY   THE  CURTIS  PDBLI5HING   COMPANT 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 


ACT  I 


ACT  I 

ANDREW  GIBSON'S  office  in  his  piano  factory  where 
he  manufactures  "The  Gibson  Upright."  A  very 
plain  interior;  pleasant  to  the  eye,  yet  distinctly  an 
office  in  a  factory,  and  without  luxuries;  altogether 
utilitarian. 

Against  the  wall  on  our  right  is  a  roll-top  desk, 
open,  very  neat,  and  in  the  centre  of  the  writing  pad 
afresh  rase  stands  in  a  glass  of  water.  Near  by  is  a 
long,  plain  table  and  upon  it  a  very  neat  arrange 
ment  of  correspondence  and  a  couple  of  ledgers. 

Against  the  walls  are  a  dozen  plain  cane-seated 
chairs.  Near  the  centre  of  the  room  is  a  sample  of 
the  Gibson  upright  piano  in  light  wood.  There  is  a 
large  safe,  showing  the  word  "Gibson,"  and  there 
are  filing  cases.  In  the  rear  wall  there  is  a  door  with 
the  upper  half  of  opaque  glass,  which  shows  "Mr. 
Gibson"  in  reverse;  and  near  this  door  is  a  water 
filter  upon  a  stand.  In  the  wall  upon  our  left  is  a 
plain  wooden  door.  The  rear  door  opens  into  the 
factory;  the  other  into  a  hall  that  leads  to  the  street. 

3 


4;.  r : .«: :;: ;-  THE  :GIB&pN  UPRIGHT 

Upon  the  walls  are  several  posters,  one  showing 
"The  Gibson  Upright" — a  happy  family,  including 
children  and  a  grandparent,  exclaiming  with  joy 
at  sight  of  this  instrument.  Another  shows  a  concert 
singer  singing  widely  beside  "The  Gibson  Upright" 
with  an  accompanist  seated.  Another  shows  a 
semi-colossal  millionaire,  and  a  workingman  of 
similar  size  in  paper  cap  and  apron,  shaking 
hands  across  "The  Gibson  Upright,"  and,  printed: 
"$188.00—  The  Price  for  the  Millionaire,  the  Same 
for  Plain  John  Smith — $188.00."  This  poster  and 
the  others  all  show  the  slogan:  "How  Cheap,  BUT 
How  Good!" 

Nothing  is  new  in  this  room,  but  everything  is  clean 
and  accurately  in  order.  The  arrangement  is  sym 
metrical. 

As  the  curtain  rises  NORA  GORODNA  is  seen  at 
work  on  the  sample  "Gibson  Upright."  The  front  is 
not  removed;  but  through  the  top  of  the  piano  she  is 
adjusting  something  with  a  small  wrench.  NORA  is 
a  fine-looking  young  woman,  not  over  twenty-six;  she 
wears  a  plain  smock  over  a  dark  dress.  As  she  is  a 
piano  tester  in  the  factory  she  is  dressed  neither  so 
roughly  as  a  working  woman  nor  perhaps  so  fashion 
ably  as  a  stenographer.  She  is  serious  and  somewhat 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  5 

preoccupied.  From  somewhere  come  the  sounds  of 
several  pianos  being  tuned.  After  a  moment  NORA 
goes  thoughtfully  to  the  desk  and  looks  at  the  rose  in 
the  glass;  then  lifts  the  glass  as  if  to  inhale  the  odour 
of  the  rose,  but  abruptly  alters  her  decision  and  sets 
the  glass  down  without  doing  so.  She  returns 
quickly  and  decisively  to  her  work  at  the  piano,  as 
if  she  had  made  a  determination. 

A  bell  at  the  door  on  our  left  rings.    NORA  goes 
to  the  door  and  opens  it. 
NORA:     Good  morning,  Mr.  Mifflin. 
MIFFLIN  [entering] :    Good  morning,  Miss  Gorodna. 
[MIFFLIN  is  a  beaming  man  of  forty,  with  gold- 
rimmed  eyeglasses  and  a  somewhat  grizzled 
beard  which  has  been,  a  week  or  so  ago,  a 
neatly  trimmed  Vandyke.     He  wears  a  "cut 
away  suit,"  not  much  pressed,  not  new;  a 
derby  hat,  a  standing  collar,  and  a  "four-in- 
hand"  dark  tie;  hard,  round  cuffs,  not  link 
cuffs.     He  carries  a  folded  umbrella,  not  a 
fashionable  one;  wears  no  gloves;  and  has  two 
or  three  old  magazines  and  a  newspaper  under 
his  arm.] 

MIFFLIN  :    I  believe  I'm  here  just  to  the  hour,  Miss 
Gorodna. 


6  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

NORA:  Mr.  Gibson  has  been  very  nice  about  it. 
He  told  me  he  would  give  you  the  interview  for  your 
article.  He's  in  the  factory — trying  to  settle  some 
things  he  can't  settle.  I'll  let  him  know  you're 
here. 

[She  goes  out  "by  the  door  into  the  factory. 
MIFFLIN,  smiling  with  benevolent  anticipa 
tion,  places  his  umbrella  and  hat  on  a  chair, 
then  takes  his  fountain  pen  and  a  pencil  from 
his  pocket,  smilingly  decides  to  use  the  pencil, 
sharpens  it  without  going  to  a  wastebasket 
over  by  the  desk;  then  beamingly  looks  about 
the  room.  He  is  about  to  strike  a  chord  on 
the  piano,  seems  alarmed  by  the  idea,  moves 
away  from  it,  dusts  the  lapel  of  his  coat, 
adjusts  his  collar,  studies  the  posters,  shakes 
his  head  over  them  as  if  they  were  not  to  his 
taste,  goes  to  the  desk,  and  after  studying  it 
smiles  at  the  rose  and  gives  it  a  kittenish  peck 
with  his  forefinger.  NORA  comes  back  and 
MIFFLIN  turns  to  her  with  his  benevolent 
smile.] 

NORA  [going  back  to  her  work  at  the  piano]:  He'll 
be  right  here. 

[GIBSON  appears  in  the  open  doorway,  speaking 


THE  0IBSON  UPRIGHT  7 

with    crisp    determination    to    someone    not 

seen.Y 

GIBSON:     That's  my  last  word  on  it;  that's  in 
accordance  with  the  agreement  you  signed  two  weeks 

ago. 

A  HARSH  VOICE:    We  don't  care  nothin'  about  no 

agreement! 

GIBSON:    That's  all! 

[He  comes  in.  He  is  a  man  of  thirty-something; 
well  but  not  clubbishly  dressed;  an  intelligent, 
thoughtful  face;  a  man  of  affairs.  Just  now  he 
is  exercising  some  self-control  over  irritations 
which  have  become  habitual,  but  he  is  not  un- 
cordial,  merely  quiet,  during  his  greeting  of 
MIFFLIN.] 

NORA:    This  is  Mr.  Mifflin,  Mr.  Gibson. 
GIBSON:    How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Mifflin. 
MIFFLIN   [heartily,  as  they  shake  hands]:    I  am 
very  glad  to  meet  you,  Mr.  Gibson!    I  hope  you 
don't  mind  my  not  writing  to  you  myself  for  this 
interview. 

GIBSON  :    Not  at  all ! 
MIFFLIN  [taking  a  chair]:    I  heard  Miss  Gorodna 

speak  at  a  meeting  two  nights  ago 

GIBSON:    Yes? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

MIFFLIN:    And  learning  that  she  was  one  of  your 
employees  I  asked  her  to  speak  to  you  about  it  for  me. 

GIBSON:    I  see. 

MIFFLIN  :    Now,  in  the  first  place,  Mr.  Gibson— 
[There  is  a  telephone  on  GIBSON'S  desk;  its 
bell  rings.] 

GIBSON:    Excuse  me  a  moment! 

[At  the  telephone]:  Hello!  .  .  .  Yes — Gibson. 
...  Oh,  hello,  McCombs!  .  .  .  Yes.  I 
want  you  to  buy  it.  ...  I  want  you  to  buy  all 
of  that  grade  wire  you  can  lay  your  hands  on.  Get 
it  now  and  go  quick.  All  you  can  get;  I  don't  care 
if  it's  a  three  years'  supply.  There'll  be  a  shortage 
within  a  month.  .  .  .  No;  I  don't  want  any 
more  of  the  celluloid  mixture.  .  .  .  No,  I  don't 
want  it.  They  can't  make  a  figure  good  enough. 
I've  got  my  own  formula  for  keys  and  we're  going  to 
make  our  own  mixture.  .  .  .  I'm  going  to  have 
my  own  plant  for  it  right  here.  I  can  make  it  just 
under  fifty  per  cent,  better  than  I  can  buy  it.  ... 
Wait  a  minute!  I  want  you  to  get  hold  of  that  lot 
of  felt  over  in  Newark;  the  syndicate's  after  it,  but 
I  want  you  to  beat  them  to  it.  Don't  go  to  Johnson. 
You  go  to  Hendricks — he's  Johnson's  brother-in-law. 
You  tell  him  as  my  purchasing  agent  you've  come  to 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  9 

finish  the  talk  I  had  with  him  the  other  night.  You'll 
find  that  does  it.  ...  All  right.  Wait!  Call 
me  up  to-morrow  afternoon;  I'm  on  the  track  of  a 
stock  of  that  brass  we've  been  using.  We  may  get 
three-eighths  of  a  cent  off  on  it.  I'll  know  by  that 
time.  All  right!  i^Sx  •  All  right!  [Then  he  hangs 
up  the  receiver  and  turns  to  MIFFLIN.]  Where  do  you 
propose  to  publish  this  interview,  Mr.  Mifflin? 

MIFFLIN  [cheerily}:  Oh,  I  shall  select  one  of  the 
popular  magazines  in  sympathy  with  my  point  of  view 
in  these  matters.  You  probably  know  my  articles. 
Numbers  of  them  have  been  translated.  One  called 
"Cooperation  and  Brotherhood"  has  been  printed  in 
thirteen  languages  and  dialects,  including  the  Scandi 
navian.  But  I  expect  this  to  be  my  star  article. 

GIBSON:    Why? 

MIFFLIN:  Because  your  factory  here  is  so  often 
called  a  model  factory.  "The  model  factory!" 
[He  repeats  the  phrase  with  unction.] 

GIBSON  [wearily]:  Yes,  model  because  it  has  the 
most  labour  trouble! 

MIFFLIN  [enthusiastically] :  That  is  the  real  reason 
why  it  will  be  my  star  article.  As  you  may  know 
from  my  other  articles  this  problem  is  where  I  am  in 
my  element* 


10  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON  :  Yes ;  I  understood  so  from  Miss  Gorodna. 
[Giving  him  an  inimical  glance,  NORA  closes 
the  top  of  piano  and  moves  to  go.  GIBSON 
checks  her  with  a  slight  gesture.] 

GIBSON:  Would  you  mind  staying,  Miss  Go 
rodna?  Miss  Gorodna  knows  more  about  one  side 
of  this  factory  than  I  do,  I'm  afraid,  Mr.  Mifflin. 
We  may  need  her  for  reference,  especially  as  she 
seems  to  be  the  ringleader  of  the  insurgents. 

MDcFFLiN  [with  jovial  reproach]:  Now,  now!  Be 
fore  we  come  to  that,  Mr.  Gibson,  suppose  we  get 
at  the  origin  of  this  interesting  product.  [He  waves 
to  the  .sample  piano.]  Let's  see!  I  understand  it 
was  never  your  own  creation,  Mr.  Gibson;  that  you 
inherited  this  factory  from  your  father. 

GIBSON:    Oh,  no,  I  didn't. 

NORA  [challenging]:  What!  [She  checks  herself.] 
I  beg  your  pardon! 

GIBSON:  The  piano  factory  I  inherited  from  my 
father  was  about  one  third  this  size. 

MIFFLIN  [genially;  always  genial]:  Nevertheless, 
you  inherited  it.  We  know  that  everything  grows 
with  the  times,  naturally.  Let  us  simply  state  that 
it  was  a  capitalistic  family  inheritance. 

NORA  [under  her  breath  but  emphatically]:    Yes! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  11 

MIFFLIN:  Up  to  the  time  of  your  inheriting  it, 
you,  I  suppose,  had  led  the  usual  life  of  pleasure  of 
the  wealthy  young  man? 

GIBSON:  I'd  been  through  school  and  college  and 
through  every  department  of  the  factory.  Thatwssn't 
hard;  it  was  a  pretty  run-down  factory,  Mr.  Mifflin. 

MIFFLIN:  And  then  at  your  father's  death  the 
lives  and  fortunes,  souls  and  bodies  of  all  these  work 
men  passed  into  your  hands? 

GIBSON:  Not  quite  that;  there  were  only  forty- 
one  worknien,  and  nineteen  of  them  didn't  stay  when 
father  died.  They  got  other  jobs  before  I  could 
stop  them. 

MIFFLIN:    And  how  many  men  have  you  now? 

GIBSON:  I  believe  there  are  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  on  the  pay  roll  now. 

MIFFLIN:  One  hundred  and  seventy-five  [with 
gusto]  labourers  L. „ 

GIBSON:  Some  of  them  are;  some  of  them  are 
orators. 

MIFFLIN  [jovially] :  Ah,  I'm  afraid  that's  hard  on 
Miss  Gorodna. 

GIBSON  [quietly] :    She's  both. 

MIFFLIN:  I  understand  you  are  not  fighting  the 
labour  unions? 


12  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:  No.  The  workmen  themselves  de 
clined  to  unionize  the  factory. 

MIFFLIN:  Mr.  Gibson,  when  your  father  began 
manufacturing  "The  Gibson  Upright" 

GIBSON:  He  didn't.  He  made  a  very  fine  piano 
— and  only  a  few  of  them.  It  was  "The  Gibson  Up 
right"  that  saved  the  factory.  You  see,  with  this 
model  we  began  to  get  on  a  quantity-production  basis. 
That's  why  the  business  has  grown  and  is  growing. 

MIFFLIN:  You  mean  that  "The  Gibson  Upright" 
is  the  reason  for  the  present  great  prosperity  of  this 
plant? 

GIBSON:    Yes. 

MIFFLIN:  Now  be  careful,  Mr.  Gibson;  I'm  going 
to  ask  a  trap  question.  [Wagging  his  pencil  at  him.] 
What  is  the  reason  for  "The  Gibson  Upright?" 

GIBSON:    Do  you  mean  who  designed  it? 

MIFFLIN:  Oh,  no,  no,  no!  I  mean  who  makes 
them?  If  someone  asked  you  if  you're  the  man  that 
makes  "The  Gibson  Upright"  wouldn't  you  say 
"Yes?" 

GIBSON:     Certainly! 

MIFFLIN  [triumphantly]:  Ah,  there  you  fell  into 
the  trap! 

GIBSON:    What's  the  matter? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  13 

NORA  [with  controlled  agitation] :  It's  the  same  old 
matter,  Mr.  Gibson.  It's  those  men  out  there  that 
make  the  piano. 

GIBSON  [a  little  sadly] :    Do  they? 

NORA:     With  their  hands,  Mr.  Gibson! 

GIBSON:     Is  there  anything  more,  Mr.  Mifflin? 

MIFFLIN:  You  couldn't  possibly  imagine  how 
much  you've  given  me,  Mr.  Gibson,  in  these  few  little 
answers.  It  is  precisely  what  I  want  to  get  at — the 
point  of  view!  The  point  of  view  is  all  that  is  sepa 
rating  the  classes  from  the  masses  to-day.  And  I 
think  I  have  yours  already.  Now  I  want  to  go  to 
the  masses  if  you  will  permit  me. 

GIBSON:    Then  you  might  as  well  stay  here. 

MIFFLIN:  Ah,  but  I  want  to  hear  the  workers 
talk! 

GIBSON:  Well,  this  is  the  best  place  for  that! 
Some  of  them  are  waiting  now  just  outside  the  door. 
I'll  let  you  hear  them. 

[Goes  to  the  factory  door  and  opens  it;  two  work- 
ingmen  come  in.  One  is  elderly  9  wilh  gray 
moustache  and  beard — CARTER.  The  other, 
FRANKEL,  is  a  Hebraic  type,  eager  and  ner- 

^ vous;  younger.] 

GIBSON:    What  do  you  and  Frankel  want,  Carter? 


14  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

CARTER  [moving  his  jaw  from  side  to  side,  affecting 
to  chew  to  gain  confidence]:  Well,  Mr.  Gibson,  to 
come  down  to  plain  words — there  ain't  no  two  best 
ways  o'  beatin'  about  the  bush. 

GIBSON:    I  know  that. 

**—- ~-v,-^  MM^~. — •— — "^ 

CARTER:  The  question  is  just  up  to  where 
there  ain't  no  two  best  ways  out  of  it.  The 
men  in  our  department  is  going  to  walk  out  to 
the  last  one,  and  if  there  was  any  way  o'  stoppin' 
it  by  argument  I'd  tell  you.  We're  goin'  out  at 
twelve  o'clock  noon  to-day,  the  whole  forty-eight 
of  us. 

GIBSON:    Why? 

FRANKEL:  "Why"  Mr.  Gibson!  Did  you  want 
to  know  why? 

GIBSON:  Yes,  I  do.  You  men  signed  an  agree 
ment  with  me  just  eleven  days  ago 

FRANKEL  [hotly  protesting] :  But  we  never  under 
stood  it  when  we  signed  it.  How'd  we  know  what 
we  was  signing? 

GIBSON:     Can't  you  read,  Frankel? 

FRANKEL:  What's  reading  got  to  do  with  it, 
when  it  reads  all  one  way? 

GIBSON:    Didn't  you  understand  it,  Carter? 

CARTER:    Well — I  can't  say  I  did. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  15 

GIBSON:  Why  can't  you  say  it?  It  was  plain 
black  and  white. 

CARTER:  Well,  I  was  kind  o'  foggy  about  the 
overtime. 

GIBSON:  The  agreement  was  that  you  were  to 
have  time  and  a  half  for  overtime.  What  was  foggy 
about  that? 

CARTER:  Well,  I  don't  say  you  didn't  give  us 
what  we  was  askin'  right  then;  but  things  have 
changed  since  then. 

GIBSON:    What's  changed  in  eleven  days? 
^    FRANKEL  [hotly]:    What's  changed?    How  about 
them  men  in  the  finishin'  department  that  do  piece 
work? 
4-  GIBSON:    Well,  what's  changed  about  them?  « 

FRANKEL:  Well,  something  is  goin'  to  change 
over  there. 

GIBSON:  We're  talking  about  your  department 
not  understanding  the  agreement.  What's  the 
finishing  department  got  to  do  with  that? 

FRANKEL:    Well,  they're  kickin',  too,  you  bet! 

GIBSON:    I'm  dealing  with  your  kick  now. 

CARTER:  Well,  o'  course  we  got  to  stand  with 
them;  if  they  do  piecework  overtime  they  don't  get 
no  more  for  it. 


16  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:    I'll  deal  with  them  separately. 

FRANKEL:  My  goodness,  Mr.  Gibson,  you  got  to 
deal  with  us,  too !  Not  a  one  of  us  understood  what 
our  last  agreement  with  you  was.  It's  just  agree 
ments  and  agreements  and  agreements — you  might 
think  we  was  living  just  on  agreements !  By  rights 
we  ought  to  have  double  time  instead  of  time  and  a 
half! 

GIBSON:  Time  and  a  half  eleven  days  ago;  now 
you  strike  for  double  time!  Where  does  this  thing 
stop?  You  want  double  time  for  overtime;  your 
working  day  has  been  reduced;  it  won't  be  long  till 
you  want  that  cut  down  again. 

FRANKEL:  Sure!  We  want  it  cut  down  right 
now! 

CARTER:  Yes,  Mr.  Gibson;  that  was  another 
point  they  told  us  to  bring  up  before  we  walk  out. 

GIBSON  [with  growing  exasperation] :  I  suppose 
you  want  a  six-hour  day  so  you'll  have  more  over 
time  to  double  on  me !  Then  you'll  want  a  four-hour 
day,  won't  you? 

MIFFLIN  [beaming  and  nodding]:  Well,  why  not, 
Mr.  Gibson? 

GIBSON:    What? 

NORA:     Why  shouldn't  they? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  17 

GIBSON:  Why  shouldn't  they?  But  what's  their 
limit? 

NORA  [oratorically]:  When  the  workman  shall 
own  his  tools! 

MIFFLIN:  Of  course  that  means  all  the  tools, 
Mr.  Gibson.  You  may  not  know  our  phrase :  "  The 
workman  shall  own  his  tools."  It  means  not  only 
the  carpenter's  bench,  the  plane  and  the  saw,  the 
adze  and  the  auger,  but  the  shop  itself.  It  means 
that  the  workmen  shall  own  the  factory.  It  means 
the  elimination  of  everything  and  everyone  who 
stands  between  him  and  the  purchaser,  to  take  toll 
and  unearned  profit  from  the  worker,  who  is  really 
the  sole  producer  of  wealth. 

NORA:  It  means  the  elimination  of  capital  and 
the  capitalist! 

MIFFLIN:  It  means  that  not  only  should  the 
worker  own  tools  and  factory  but  should  sit  here  in 
the  persons  of  his  chosen  and  elected  fellow  workers, 
as  arbiter  of  his  own  destiny. 

GIBSON:  That  is  to  say,  it  means  the  elimina 
tion  of  me. 

MIFFLIN  [jovially]:     Precisely!     Precisely! 

GIBSON  [as  another  workingman  strides  into  the 
room]:  What  do  you  want,  Shomberg? 


18  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

SHOMBERG:  Them  new  windows  in  the  assem 
bling  room — they're  no  good. 

GIBSON:  We've  just  spent  twelve  hundred  dol 
lars  fixing  them  as  you  said  you  wanted  them. 
What's  the  matter  with  them? 

SHOMBERG:    They  don't  give  no  light. 

MIFFLIN:    None  at  all? 

SHOMBERG:  It's  right  next  to  none  at  all!  The 
men  are  goin'  to  lay  off  if  they  got  to  work  in  that 
room.  They're  goin'  out  anyway  at  twelve  o'clock. 

FRANKEL:  Now  look  here,  Mr.  Gibson,  if  I  was 
running  this  factory 

GIBSON:     You're  not,  Frankel! 

SHOMBERG:  Well,  why  can't  you  listen  to  him? 
Don't  we  even  get  no  hearing?  I  guess  if  I  was  run 
ning  this  factory  once,  the  first  thing  I'd  do  I'd 
anyhow  try  to  listen  what  the  troubles  is  and  make 
my  men  contented. 

GIBSON:  What  would  you  do  if  you  were  running 
the  factory,  Carter?  You  haven't  said. 

CARTER:  I  ain't  had  the  chance  to  say.  Now 
what  I'd  do,  first  I'd  settle  all  the  grievances  so  there 
wouldn't  be  no  more  complaints. 

GIBSON:  Well,  here's  one  coming  I  might  leave 
to  you  on  that  basis. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  19 

[Enter  SIMPSON,  an  elderly  worker  in  overalls 
and  jumper;  and  SALVATORE,  a  New  Yorkized 
Italian  type,  a  formerly  lighted  cigarette 
dangling  from  his  lips.] 

SALVATORE:  Our  department's  goin'  to  walk  out 
at  twelve,  noon,  Mr.  Gibson.  We  ain't  satisfied. 

GIBSON:    Why  not? 

SALVATORE:  Well,  we  ain't  satisfied,  Mr.  Gibson; 
we  ain't  satisfied  at  all. 

GIBSON:  You  got  every  demand  answered  yes 
terday,  Salvatore. 

SALVATORE  :  Oh,  I  ain't  talkin*  about  no  demands. 
If  all  them  other  departments  walks  out  we're  going 
to  stand  by  'em!  We  got  plenty  to  do  with  our 
time.  Workin'  all  the  time  ain't  so  enjoyable. 

GIBSON:  So  you  people  are  going  out  again, 
are  you? 

SIMPSON:  I  guess  it's  a  general  strike,  Mr.  Gib 
son.  I'm  afraid  if  you  don't  give  the  boys  satis 
factory  answers  the  place  will  close  down  at  noon. 

GIBSON:  Have  satisfactory  answers  ever  satisfied 
you? 

SALVATORE:  Ain't  we  got  no  right  to  stand  up  for 
our  rights? 

FRANKEL:    Don't  you  get  all  you  can  from  us? 


20  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

Well,  you  bet  your  life  we're  goin'  to  keep  on  gettin' 
all  we  can  from  you  ! 

GIBSON:  Then  life  isn't  worth  anything  to  either 
of  us — if  it's  all  fight!  Is  that  to  go  on  forever? 

NORA:  No,  Mr.  Gibson;  it's  to  go  on  until  the 
abolition  of  the  wage  system! 

MIFFLIN:    Good! 

NORA  :  The  struggle  with  capitalism  will  continue 
till  the  workers  take  possession  of  the  machinery  of 
production.  It  is  theirs  by  right;  the  wealth  they 
produce  is  morally  their  own.  The  parasites  who 
now  consume  that  wealth  must  be  destroyed. 

[Great  approval  from  workmen;  almost  a  cheer. 
MIFFLIN  chuckles  and  noiselessly  claps  his 
hands.] 

GIBSON:    I'm  the  parasite! 

SHOMBERG:    Well,  do  we  get  any  answer? 

GIBSON:  Does  any  one  of  you  men  here  think  he 
could  answer  all  of  these  demands  satisfactorily? 

SALVATORE:    Sure!     [All  acquiesce:   "Sure,  sure!" 

FRANKEL:  You  can't  put  us  off  any  longer  with 
just  no  little  bunch  of  funny  talk! 

GIBSON:  I'll  have  an  answer  for  you  in  fifteen 
minutes.  [Turns  to  his  desk.]  That's  all. 

SHOMBERG:    Better  have  it  before  twelve  o'clock. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  21 

CARTER  [as  they  go]:  Do  what  you  kin,  Mr. 
Gibson.  All  the  departments  is  worked  up  pretty 
unusual. 

GIBSON  [wearily  dropping  back  into  his  chair] :  Oh, 
no,  Carter;  pretty  usual;  that's  the  trouble. 

MIFFLIN:    A  splendid  manifestation  of  spirit,  Mr. 

Gibson!    I'll  just  take  advantage  of  the 

[GIBSON  waves  his  hand,  assenting.     MIFFLIN 

overtakes  the  group  at  door,  puts  his  hands 

on  the  shoulders  of  two  of  the  workers;  and 

goes  out  with  them  talking  eagerly.    NORA 

follows.     GIBSON  sighs  heavily;  the  telephone 

bell  rings.     He  takes  up  the  receiver.} 

GIBSON:    Who  is  it?    .     .     .    Wait  a  minute! 

[He  takes  a  pad  and  writes]:     "Central  Associated 

Lumber   Companies."      .      .      .      Wait    a    minute. 

[Looks  at  a  slip  in  a  pigeonhole  of  his  desk.]     Oh, 

yes,  you  called  me  yesterday.     .     .     .     This  is  Mr. 

Ragsdale?     .     .     .    No,  no,  Mr.  Ragsdale,  I  don't 

think  I'm  going  to  do  any  business  with  you.     You 

asked  me  forty-eight  dollars  a  thousand  on  200,000 

feet.     .     .     .     No,  your  coming  down  half  a  dollar  a 

thousand  won't  do  it.     .     .     .     I  say  seventeen  cents 

won't   do   it.     ...     Hold    the    wire    a    minute. 

[Looks  for  letter  in  pigeonhole,  but  finds  it  in  his 


22  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

inside  pockets.  Then  he  holds  it  open,  looking  at  it 
beside  the  telephone  as  he  speaks.]  Hello!  .  ,  . 
No;  I  was  right;  there's  nothing  doing,  Mr.  Ragsdale, 
I  know  where  I  can  get  that  200,000  feet  at  forty -five 
dollars.  ...  I  say  I  know  where  I  can  get  that 
lumber  at  forty-five  dollars.  .  .  .  No;  I  can 
get  it.  There  won't  be  any  use  for  you  to  call  up 
again.  .  .  .  Good-bye! 

[He  paces  the  floor  again  thoughtfully,  then  ab- 
'  rupily  goes  to  the  factory  door;  opens  it  andcalls.] 
GIBSON:    Miss  Gorodna! 

[NoRA  appears  in  the  doorway.  She  looks  at 
him  with  disapproving  inquiry;  then  walks 
in  and  closes  the  door.  He  goes  to  his  desk 
and  touches  the  rose.] 

GIBSON:  Why  didn't  you  take  it  this  morning? 
That  poor  little  rosebed  in  my  yard  at  home;  it's 
just  begun  to  brighten  up.  I  suppose  it  thought 
it  was  going  to  send  you  a  June  rose  every  day,  as  it 
did  last  June.  You  don't  want  it? 

NORA  [gently,  but  not  abating  her  attitude]:  No, 
thank  you! 

GIBSON:  [dropping  the  rose  upon  his  blotting  pad, 
not  into  the  glass  again]:  This  is  the  fourth  that's 
had  to  wither  disappointed. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  23 

NORA  [in  a  low  voice]:  Then  hadn't  you  better 
let  the  others  live? 

GIBSON:  I'd  like  to  live  a  little  myself,  Nora. 
Life  doesn't  seem  much  worth  living  for  me  as  it  is, 
and  if  your  theories  are  making  you  detest  me  I 
think  I'm  about  through. 

NORA:  It's  what  you  stand  for  that  my  theories 
make  me  detest — since  you  used  the  word. 

GIBSON:     Well,  what  is  it  that  I  stand  for? 

NORA:     Class  and  class  hatred. 

GIBSON:    Which  class  is  the  hatred  coming  from? 

NORA:    From  both! 

GIBSON:  Just  in  this  room  right  now  it  seems  to 
be  all  on  one  side.  And  lately  it  has  seemed  to  me 
to  be  more  and  more  not  so  much  class  as  personal; 
because  really,  Nora,  I  haven't  yet  been  able  to 
understand  how  a  girl  with  your  mind  can  believe 
that  you  and  I  belong  to  different  classes. 

NORA:  You  don't!  So  long  as  capital  exists 
you  and  I  are  in  warring  classes,  Mr.  Gibson. 

GIBSON:    What  are  they? 

NORA:  Capitalist  and  proletariat.  You  can't 
get  out  of  your  class  and  I  don't  want  to  get  out  of 
mine. 

GIBSON:    Nora,  the  law  of  the  United  States 


24  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

doesn't  recognize  any  classes — and  I  don't  know  why 
you  and  I  should.  We  both  like  Montaigne  and 
Debussy.  You've  even  condescended  to  laugh  with 
me  at  times  about  something  funny  in  the  shop. 
Of  course  not  lately;  but  you  used  to.  In  every 
thing  worth  anything  aren't  we  really  in  the  same 
class? 

NORA:  We  are  not.  We  never  shall  be — and  we 
never  were!  Even  before  we  were  born  we  weren't! 
You  came  into  this  life  with  a  silver  spoon.  I  was 
born  In  a  tenement  room  where  five  other  people 
lived.  My  father  was  a  man  with  a  great  brain. 
He  never  got  out  of  the  tenements  in  his  life;  he  was 
crushed  and  kept  under;  yet  he  was  a  well-read  man 
and  a  magnificent  talker;  he  could  talk  Marx  and 
Tolstoi  supremely.  Yet  he  never  even  had  time  to 
learn  English. 

GIBSON:  I  wish  you  could  have  heard  what  my 
father  talked  for  English!  Half  the  time  I  couldn't 
understand  him  myself.  He  was  Scotch. 

NORA:  Your  father  wasn't  crushed  under  the 
capitalistic  system  as  mine  was.  My  father  was  an 
intellectual. 

GIBSON:  Mine  was  a  worker.  They  both  landed 
at  Castle  Garden,  didn't  they? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  25 

NORA:  What  of  that?  Mine  remained  a  thinker 
and  a  revolutionist;  yours  became  a  capitalist. 

GIBSON:    No;  he  got  a  job — in  a  piano  factory. 

NORA:  Yes,  and  took  advantage  of  the  capital 
istic  system  to  own  the  factory. 

GIBSON:  Before  he  did  own  it  he  worked  fourteen 
hours  a  day  for  twelve  years.  That's  why  he  owned 
it. 

NORA:  How  many  hours  a  day  do  you  work,  Mr. 
Gibson? 

GIBSON:  I  have  worked  twenty-four;  sometimes 
fourteen,  sometimes  two;  usually  six. 

NORA:    In  other  words,  when  you  want  to  work. 

GIBSON:  I've  learned  to  do  things  my  father 
never  learned  to  do,  and  it  commands  a  higher 
return. 

NORA:    You  take  a  higher  return! 

GIBSON:    You  mean  I  don't  deserve  it? 

NORA:  Can  it  be  possible  that  you  think  you 
deserve  as  much  as  any  of  these  workers?  You 
don't  so  much  as  touch  one  of  these  pianos  that  bring 
you  your  return.  I  do!  I  work  on  them  with  my 
hands.  Do  you  think  you  deserve  as  much  as  I? 

GIBSON:    No;  I  don't  go  so  far  as  that. 

NORA:    Don't  talk  to  me  as  a  woman!    My  work 


26  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

is  pleasant  enough  now;  but  what  work  did  I  have 
to  do  before  I  got  this  far?  I  worked  sixteen  hours 
a  day,  and  when  I  was  only  a  child  at  that!  Twelve 
hours  I  was  sewing,  and  four  I  studied.  If  my  father 
hadn't  known  music  and  taught  me  a  little  your 
capitalistic  system  would  have  me  sewing  twelve 
hours  a  day  still! 

GIBSON:  Yes,  Nora;  when  we  learn  how  to  do 
something  we  get  better  pay  for  it. 

NORA:  We  do?  Do  you  really  think  that? 
That  we  get  paid  for  what  we  do? 

GIBSON:    Yes;  that's  what  I  think. 

NORA:  Then  what  do  you  get  paid  for?  For 
nothing  in  the  world  but  owning  this  factory. 
You're  paid  because  you're  a  capitalist! 

GIBSON:    Is  that  all? 

NORA:  Why,  look  at  the  state  the  factory's  in! 
The  discontent  you  saw  in  those  men — that's  the 
fault  of  the  capitalistic  system !  There  aren't  twenty 
workmen  in  the  place  that  are  contented. 

GIBSON:  You're  right  about  that;  and  they 
never  will  be. 

NORA:  Not  until  the  system's  changed.  What 
are  you  going  to  do  about  it? 

GIBSON  [with  quiet  desperation]:    They've  driven 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  27 

me  as  far  as  they  can.  If  they  walk  out  I'll  walk 
out.  I  can  stand  it  if  they  can. 

NORA:  You'd  close  down?  Your  only  solution 
is  to  take  the  bread  out  of  these  men's  mouths? 

GIBSON:    If  they  walk  out  I'll  walk  out! 

NORA  [trembling]:    You  coward! 

GIBSON:    That's  fair? 

NORA:  You'll  let  us  starve  because  you  haven't 
the  courage  to  come  to  the  right  solution!  Don't 
you  mind  starving  us? 

GIBSON:    You  mean  you'd  starve  if  I  quit. 

NORA  [vehemently]:  No;  but  because  you'd  close 
the  factory. 

GIBSON:  Oh,  the  factory  could  run  if  I  quit, 
could  itg^ 

NORA:  That's  the  capitalist!  They  think  it's 
capital  that  runs  the  factories! 

GIBSON:    And  I'm  the  capital,  am  I? 

NORA:  What  in  the  world  else?  [Touches  the 
piano.]  You  think  you  produce  this  wealth  because 
you've  got  your  money  in  it?  You  pass  out  a  pit 
tance  to  those  who  do  produce  it,  and  when  they  ask 
for  more  than  a  pittance  you  take  their  tools  away 
from  them!  If  they  rebel  you  set  the  police  on 
them.  That's  capital — and  that's  you,  Mr.  Gibson! 


28  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:  Nora,  you  told  me  not  to  speak  to  you 
as  a  woman. 

NORA:    I  mean  it! 

GIBSON:  I'm  going  to  disregard  it.  Couldn't 
you  get  your  theories  out  of  your  mind  for  a  while 
and  make  a  little  room  there  for  me? 

NORA:  My  theories!  I  haven't  any  theories! 
I'm  talking  about  the  truth,  and  the  truth  is  my 
whole  life.  I  can't  find  room  for  anything  but  the 
truth. 

GIBSON:    Couldn't  you? 

NORA:  Ah,  that's  a  man's  egoism!  With  the 
whole  world  seething  so  that  its  wrongs  should  fill 
every  mind — yes,  and  every  heart — until  they're 
righted,  you  ask  me 

GIBSON:  I  think  you  needn't  make  it  any  clearer, 
Nora;  I  understand. 

NORA  [turning  away,  agitated] :  I  am  glad  you  do. 
[The  factory  door  opens  to  the  impetuous  arrival 
of  a  workingman  of  extraordinary  size  and 
vehemence,  RILEY,  a  truck  driver.] 

RILEY  [as  he  opens  the  door]:  See  here,  Mr.  Gib 
son,  fer  the  love  o'  heaven,  don't  the  truck  drivers 
fer  this  factory  git  no  consideration? 

GIBSON:    I  don't  know!    What  do  they  want? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  29 

RJLEY:  Look  here,  Mr.  Gibson,  man  to  man, 
every  department  in  this  factory  is  makin'  demands 
and  goin'  to  walk  out  if  they  don't  git  'em.  Ain't 
we  got  no  chance  fer  no  demands? 

GIBSON:    I  said:    What  do  you  want? 

RILEY:  Why,  we  got  grievances  been  hangin' 
over  I  don't  know  how  long! 

GIBSON:    What  are  they? 

RILEY:  Why,  all  them  other  departments  is 
going  to  git  raises.  You  don't  think  fer  a  minute 
the  truck  drivers  ain't  going  to 

GIBSON:    How  much  raise  do  you  want? 

RILEY:    Sir? 

GIBSON:    How  much  raise  do  you  want? 

RILEY:  I  can't  jest  say  right  this  minute.  We 
jest  heard  what  was  goin'  on  in  the  other  depart 
ments,  and  we  ain't  had  no  meetin'  to  settle  just 
what  raise  we  are  goin'  to  git.  Now,  Mr.  Gibson,  if 
I  was  runnin'  this  factory 

GIBSON:    Well,  what  would  you  do? 

RILEY:  The  first  thing  I'd  do,  I'd  see  that  the 
truck  drivers  didn't  have  no  more  discontent  than 
nobody  else.  What  becomes  of  your  freight  if  you 
can't  run  no  trucks?  You  got  to  look  out,  Mr. 
Gibson!  It's  us  got  the  upper  hand. 


30  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:     Go  call  your  meeting  and  find  out  what 
raise  you're  going  to  strike  for. 

RILEY:    Yes,  sir;  I'll  do  it.     [He  goes  out  quickly.} 
NORA:  [amazed  and  rather  gentle}:    Are  you  going 
to  give  them  what  they  want? 

GIBSON:    No;  I  only  wanted  to  get  rid  of  him  a 
minute  to  think — or  try  to. 

NORA  [in  a  low  voice,  of  ended}:    Oh,  excuse  me! 
[She  is  going  out.] 

GIBSON  :     Stay  here !     [He  seems  to  approach  a  deci 
sion — one  of  desperation  and  anger.     Then  he  speaks 
crisply,  but  more  to  himself  than  to  NORA.]     All  right 
— they  get  it !    [Looks  up  at  NORA,  gives  her  a  frowning 
stare  of  some  duration.]    Tell  Riley  to  call  off  his 
meeting,  please.     I  want  all  those  spokesmen  for  the 
departments  here.     I'll  give  them  their  answer  now. 
[NORA  looks  at  him,  puzzled,  bites  her  lip,  and 
goes  out  quicldy  into  the  factory.     GIBSON'S 
expression  is  determined;  so  is  his  action. 
He  goes  to  the  wall,  brings  two  chairs,  one  in 
each  hand,  places  them  at  the  large  table. 
Repeats  this  until  he  has  chairs  placed  at 
the  table  on  both  sides  and  at  the  head  as  if 
for  a  directors9  meeting.     The  door  opens  and 
SALVATORE,    MIFFLIN,    CARTER,     RILEY, 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  31 

SHOMBERG,  FRANKEL,  and  SIMPSON  enter. 
They  come  in,  speaking  together;  most  of 
them  talking  somewhat  ominously.] 

CROWD:  Well,  he  better!  .  .  .  We  ain't 
workin'  for  our  health.  .  .  .  My  whole  depart- 
ment'll  walk  out!  .  .  .  Yoji  bet  your  life  we're 
goin'  to !  ...  He  needn't  kid  himself  about  our 
not  meaning  business! 

FRANKEL:  Well,  Mr.  Gibson,  we'd  like  to  know 
what  conclusion  you  come  to. 

GIBSON:  I'm  going  to  tell  you.  Simpson,  please 
ask  Miss  Gorodna  to  step  in. 

[SIMPSON  merely  looks  out  of  the  door,  and  NORA 
comes  in  quickly.] 

Carter,  take  that  chair  at  the  head  of  the  table. 
Frankel,  Salvatore,  Shomberg,  sit  there,  and  there, 
and  there!  Riley,  sit  there.  Simpson,  there!  Miss 
Gorodna,  will  you  please  sit  here?  [They  take  the 
seats  he  indicates,  but  they  look  puzzled,  somewhat 
perturbed;  whisper  and  murmur  to  one  another.]  Thank 
you!  There!  That  looks  like  a  directors'  table > 
doesn't  it? 

SALVATORE:    What's  this  all  about? 

GIBSON:  I  want  to  ask  you  people  if  any  of  you 
ever  knew  me  to  break  my  word  to  you? 


32  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

FRANKEL:  Oh,  no,  Mr.  Gibson,  we  know  you 
never  break  your  agreements! 

GIBSON:  I  want  to  ask  you  people:  Haven't 
you  found  my  word  as  good  as  my  bond? 

CARTER:    Why,  yes,  Mr.  Gibson. 

SIMPSON:  Sure!  We  know  you'll  do  what  you 
say. 

GIBSON:    Do  you  all  agree  to  that? 

SALVATORE:    Soit'nly!     You're  a  gentleman. 

RILEY:    Sure,  we  agree  to  it! 

SHOMBERG:    Oh,  well,  prob'ly  so. 

GIBSON:  All  right!  I'm  going  to  do  something 
you  don't  expect,  and  I  want  you  to  know  I  mean  it. 
But  before  I  do  it  I  want  to  tell  you  something. 
Probably  you  won't  understand  it,  but  for  a  long 
time  I  had  a  pride  in  this  factory.  Building  up  The 
Gibson  Upright  was  really  the  pride  of  my  life.  To 
do  that  I  knew  I  had  to  have  a  loyal  staff  of  workmen, 
and  for  that  reason  if  no  other  I  have 'given  you 
shorter  hours  and  more  pay  than  the  men  get  in  any 
other  factory  of  this  kind  that  I  know  of.  I've  done 
everything  that  can  be  done  to  make  the  shops 
healthy  and  light  and  clean.  I  certainly  haven't  been 
unfriendly  to  you  personally.  Any  man  in  the  factory 
was  free  to  come  in  that  door  to  talk  to  me  any  time  he 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  33 

wanted  to.  I've  done  my  best  and  we've  been  called 
the  model  factory.  I've  done  my  best  but — it  isn't 
enough.  It  never  has  been  enough.  And  I've  been 
told  it  never  will  be  enough  [with  a  glance  at  NORA] 
until  the  wage  system  has  been  abolished — until 
capital  has  been  abolished  and  the  parasite  de 
stroyed!  I  say  I  took  a  pride  in  the  factory  for 
years!  Now  I  am  no  longer  able  to.  I  can't  take 
a  pride  in  a  squabble,  and  that's  all  this  factory  has 
come  to  be.  And  I'll  tell  you  frankly — you  men  feel 
you'd  like  to  get  rid  of  me;  well,  I  want  to  get  rid 
of  you.  And  I  intend  to! 

SHOMBERG  [fiercely] :  You  goin'  to  close  this  fac 
tory  down? 

GIBSON:    No;    I'm  going  to  give  it  to  you! 

SEVERAL  WORKMEN  :    What ! 

GIBSON  [emphatically]:  I'm  going  to  give  it  to 
you!  I  turn  it  over  to  you,  here  and  now.  This 
property  is  mine,  but  the  use  of  it  is  yours.  Don't 
you  understand?  You've  said  yourselves  my  word 
is  as  good  as  my  bond.  Well,  the  factory  is  yours. 
I'm  going  to  get  away  from  it.  You  take  it  and  run 
it. 

[He  gets  his  hat  and  coat.] 

SIMPSON:    What  in  thunder  does  he  mean? 


34  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

SALVATORE:    Say,  what's  the  game? 

GIBSON:  There  it  is!  Take  it  and  run  it  your 
selves,  for  yourselves.  It  belongs  to  every  workman 
in  the  factory  on  equal  shares.  [Throws  keys  on 
table.]  There  are  the  keys  of  the  safe,  and  the  com 
bination's  in  the  top  drawer  of  that  desk.  It's  all 
yours  as  it  stands,  down  to  the  very  correspondence 
on  that  table,  without  any  let,  hindrance,  or  inter 
ference  from  me. 

FRANKEL  [hoarsely] :    Say!    He  means  it! 

SALVATORE:    All  the  money  ours? 

GIBSON:  The  money  for  every  piano  you.  make 
and  sell  is  yours — every  cent  of  it. 

MTFFLIN  [rising  transfigured] :  Gentlemen,  a  glori 
ous  time  has  come!  This  is  an  example  to  every 
employer  of  labour  in  our  land.  I  thank  that  power 
which  destined  all  men  to  be  equal  both  in  service  and 
reward  that  I  should  have  chanced  to  be  present  to 
see  such  a  splendid  band  of  forward-looking  f ellowsr — 
of  brothers,  of  comrades — come  into  their  own !  Let 
us  hope  that  this  great  moment  but  marks  the  be 
ginning  of  an  epoch  when  every  capitalist  and  manu 
facturer  shall  see  the  light  as  Mr.  Gibson  has  just 
done. 

As  spokesman  for  these — these  men,  Mr.  Gibson, 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  35 

I  would  congratulate  you  for  anticipating  the  inevita 
ble  and  certain  world  future!  You  have  done  well 
for  yourself  to  perceive  it.  I  am  sure  on  that  account 
you  leave  here  with  their  respect.  And  to  you  I 

should  think  it  might  be  some  relief 

GIBSON:  Relief?  I  should  think  it  might!  And 
you  can  translate  that  into  your  nineteen  languages 
and  dialects — including  the  Scandinavian!  As  for 
you  men — you  wouldn't  work  for  me — now  see  if 
you  can  work  for  yourselves!  Good-bye,  Miss  Go- 
rodna ! 

[NoRA,  who  has  been  looking  at  him  tensely, 
inclines  her  head  slightly.  He  opens  the  door 
that  leads  to  the  street  and  goes  out  decisively. 
There  are  exclamations  from  everyone,  loud 
but  awed.  "Say,  look  here,  look  here,  look 
here!" 

"Give  it  to  us!"  "Equal  shares!  Did  you 
hear  what  he  said?"  "Gosh!  Is  this  the 
end  of  the  world?"  "My  wife  won't  believe 
it!"] 

MIFFLIN:  Gentlemen,  this  factory  comes  into  the 
possession  of  every  workman  in  it  on  equal  terms; 
each  has  a  like  share  in  the  profits.  At  last  the  work 
man  owns  his  tools. 


36  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

FRANKEL  [suddenly,  as  if  light  had  just  come] :  Gib 
son's  crazy! 

MIFFLIN:  No,  no!  He  saw  the  writing  on  the  wall! 
NORA  [as  if  entranced,  her  eyes  to  heaven] :     Isn't 
it  wonderful — -wonderful! 

MIFFLIN  [beaming]:    But  we  mustn't  forget  that 
it  entails  responsibilities. 
NORA:    We  mustn't  forget  that. 

[The  telephone  bell  rings.  They  all  turn  their 
heads  in  silence  and  look  at  it,  MIFFLIN 
watching  them,  benevolently  chuckling.  The 
bell  rings  again.] 

CARTER  [blankly] :    The  telephone  is  ringin*. 
MIFFLIN:    Well,  answer  it,  answer  it! 
SIMPSON:    Who? 

MIFFLIN:    Why,  you — any  of  you.    It's  yours — 
it's  your  telephone. 
SIMPSON:    You  answer  it,  Carter. 

[CARTER  goes  to  the  telephone  and  picks  it  up 

in  a  somewhat  gingerly  way.] 
CARTER:  Hello!  .  .  .  Yes.  .  .  .  Yes, 
it's  The  Gibson  Upright.  .  .  .  No,  he  ain't 
here.  .  .  .  What?  Wait  a  minute.  [Puts  his 
hand  over  the  mouthpiece.]  He  wants  to  know  who 
it  is  talking. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  37 

FRANKEL  :  My  goodness !  Can't  you  tell  him  it's 
you? 

CARTER:    He  wouldn't  know  who  that  was. 

MIFFLIN:  Tell  him  it's  one  of  the  owners  of  the 
company. 

CARTER  [looks  at  MIFFLIN  solemnly;  then  in  a  hushed 
voice] :  It's  one  of  the  owners  of  the  company.  .  .  . 
Wait  a  minute;  let  me  get  that.  "The  Central 
Associated  Lumber  Companies?  "  I  hear  you.  Wait 
a  minute.  [Looks  round.]  This  here  company  says 
they  want  to  lower  their  bid  for  a  couple  hundred 
thousand  feet  o*  lumber  to  forty-seven  dollars  a 
thousand.  They  say  that's  a  dollar  lower  than  they 
offered  yesterday  and  a  half  a  dollar  lower  than  they 
offered  this  morning — says  got  to  know  now. 

FRANKEL:  Says  they  come  down  to  forty-seven, 
do  they? 

CARTER  :    Yes ;  says  so ! 

SIMPSON:    Well,  tell  'em  that's  good;  we'll  take  it. 

THE  OTHERS:  Sure,  that's  right!  .  .  .  That's 
a  good  offer.  .  .  .  Sure,  we'll  take  it! 

CARTER  [at  the  telephone] :  We'll  take  it.  [Pause.] 
You're  welcome. 

[Puts  down  the  telephone  amid  general  buzz  from 
all  the  others.     They  rise  somewhat  dazedly, 


38  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

but  relaxing,  beginning  to  take  in  their  sur 
roundings  in  the  new  life.  SHOMBERG  and 
SIMPSON  shake  hands.  FRANKEL  goes  over 
and  examines  the  safe.  SALVATORE  picks 
up  a  basket  of  correspondence  from  the  desk  as 
if  it  were  a  strange  bug.  SHOMBERG  opens  a 
drawer  in  the  table.  There  is  a  buzz  of  con- 
gratulative,  formless  talk.  They  spread  over 
the  stage,  looking  at  everything.] 
MIFFLIN  [transfigured,  his  right  hand  lifted]: 
Gentlemen,  this  is  the  New  Dawn! 


ACT  II 


ACT  II 

The  yard  beside  GIBSON'S  house.  Upon  our  left  is 
seen  the  porch  or  sun-room  wing  of  a  good  "colonial" 
house  of  the  present  type.  A  hedge  runs  across  at 
the  back,  about  five  feet  high,  with  a  gateway  and  rustic 
gate.  Beyond  is  seen  a  residential  suburban  quarter, 
well  wooded  and  with  ample  shrubberies.  A  gravelled 
path  leads  from  the  gate  to  the  porch,  or  sun-room, 
where  are  broad  steps.  Upon  the  lawn  are  a  white 
garden  bench,  a  table,  and  a  great  green-and-white- 
striped  sun  umbrella,  with  several  white  garden 
chairs. 

Autumn  has  come,  and  the  foliage  is  beginning  to 
turn;  but  the  scene  is  warm  and  sunlit. 

After  a  moment  a  young  housemaid  brings  out  a 
tray  with  a  chocolate  pot,  wafers,  and  one  cup  and 
saucer  and  a  lace-edged  napkin.  She  places  the  tray 
on  the  table,  moves  a  chair  to  it,  looks  at  the  tray 
thoughtfully,  turns,  starts  toward  the  house — when 
GIBSON  comes  out.  He  wears  a  travelling  suit  and 
is  bareheaded. 

41 


42  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

ELLA:  The  cook  thought  you  might  like  a  cup  of 
chocolate  after  a  long  trip  like  that — just  getting  off 
the  train  and  all,  Mr.  Gibson. 

GIBSON:    Thank  you,  Ella,  I  should. 

ELLA:    I'll  bring  your  mail  right  out. 

[She  goes  into  the  house  and  returns  with  a 
packet  of  letters.] 

GIBSON:    Thanks,  Ella! 

ELLA:  Everything  is  there  that's  come  since  you 
sent  the  telegram  not  to  forward  any  more. 

GIBSON  :  It's  pleasant  to  find  the  house  and  every 
thing  just  as  I  left  it. 

ELLA:  My,  Mr.  Gibson,  we  pretty  near  thought 
you  wasn't  never  coming  back.  Those  June  roses  in 
that  bed  round  yonder  lasted  pretty  near  up  into 
August  this  year,  Mr.  Gibson.  For  that  matter  it's 
such  mild  weather  even  yet  some  say  we  won't  have 
any  fall  till  Thanksgiving. 

GIBSON:    Yes,  it's  extraordinary. 

ELLA:     Shall  I  leave  the  tray? 

GIBSON:  No;  you  can  take  it.  [She  moves  to  do 
so.]  Wait  a  minute.  Here's  a  letter  from  John 
Riley,  up  at  the  factory.  Don't  I  remember  his  son 
Tom  coming  here  to  see  you  quite  a  good  deal? 

ELLA:    Yes,  sir;  Tom's  one  of  the  factory  truck- 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  43 

men  like  his  father.  He  still  comes  to  see  me  quite 
a  good  deal,  sir.  There  isn't  anything  about  that 
in  the  letter,  is  there,  sir?  [She  knows  there  isn't.] 

GIBSON  [absently]:  No,  no!  [With  faint  irony.] 
He  only  wants  to  know  about  where  to  get  a  stock  of 
truck  parts  that  had  been  ordered  before  I  broke 
connections  with  the  factory.  He  thinks  four 
months  is  a  long  time  for  them  to  be  on  the  way  and 
doesn't  know  where  to  write. 

ELLA:  He's  a  terrible  active  man,  Mr.  Riley. 
Always  pushing. 

GIBSON:  So  Tom  comes  round  more  than  ever, 
does  he? 

ELLA  [coyly]:    He  does,  sir! 

GIBSON:    I'm  not  going  to  lose  you,  am  I,  Ella? 

ELLA:  Well,  sir,  up  to  the  time  of  that  change  in 
the  factory  we  hadn't  expected  we  could  get  married 
for  maybe  two  years  yet,  but  the  way  things  are 
now — not  that  I  want  to  leave  here,  sir — but  it  does 
look  like  going  right  ahead  with  the  wedding! 

GIBSON  :    Tom  feels  that  prosperous,  does  he? 

ELLA:    I  guess  he  is  prosperous,  sir! 

GIBSON  [gravely  digesting  this]:  Well,  I  suppose 
I'm  glad  to  hear  it. 

ELLA:    Yes,  sir;  everybody's  glad  these  days  up 


44  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

at  the  factory,  sir.  I  don't  mean  about  just  Tom  and 
me,  they're  glad. 

GIBSON  :    You  mean  they're  all  in  a  glad  condition  ? 

ELLA:  Oh,  are  they,  sir!  Even  the  Commiskeys 
got  an  automobile  last  month ! 

GIBSON:    Well,  I  suppose  that's  splendid. 

ELLA:    Didn't  you  know  about  it,  sir? 

GIBSON:  No,  not  a  word.  I've  been  pretty  deep 
up  in  the  Maine  woods  this  summer.  Have  you  been 
over  to  the  factory  at  all  yourself,  Ella? 

ELLA:  Yes,  sir;  visitors  can  go  round  just  as  they 
like  to.  They're  glad  to  have  you. 

GIBSON:  When  you've  been  over  there,  Ella — 
you  know  which  one  is  Miss  Gorodna,  don't  you? 

ELLA:  Oh,  yes,  sir!  She's  one  of  the  best  in 
managing,  Miss  Gorodna. 

GIBSON:  You — did  you — have  you  happened  to 
see  her? 

Ella:    Yes,  sir,  once  or  twice. 

GIBSON:    Did  she — ah — did  she  look  overworked? 

ELLA:    Oh,  I  shouldn't  say  so,  sir. 

GIBSON:    She  looked  well,  then? 

ELLA:  Yes,  indeed,  sir!  Everybody's  so  happy 
up  there;  I  dcn't  suppose  none  of  'em  could  look 
happier  than  she  is,  sir! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  45 

GIBSON:     They  are  all  happy,  then? 

ELLA  [laughing  joyfully]:  You  never  see  such 
times  in  your  life,  sir!  [A  bell  rings  in  the  house.]  I'll 
answer  the  bell. 

GIBSON:    I've  finished  this,  Ella. 

ELLA:  Yes,  sir.  [She  takes  the  tray  and  goes  into 
the  house.  GIBSON  opens  another  letter,  reads  it. 
ELLA  returns.] 

ELLA:    It's  Mr.  Mifflin,  sir. 

GIBSON:    All  right. 

[MIFFLIN,  beaming  and  bubbling,  more  radiant 
than  in  Act  1,  but  dressed  as  then  except  for  a 
change  of  tie,  comes  from  the  house.  He 
carries  his  umbrella  and  hat  and  the  same  old 
magazines  and  a  newspaper.] 

MIFFLIN:  Ah,  Mr.  Gibson,  you  couldn't  stay 
away  any  longer! 

GIBSON  :    How  de  do !    Sit  down ! 

MIFFLIN  [effervescing,  as  they  sit]:  It's  glorious! 
I  heard  from  your  household  you  were  expected  back 
this  Sunday.  Now  confess!  You  couldn't  stay 
away !  You  had  to  come  and  watch  it ! 

GIBSON:  Well,  I've  not  had  to  come  and  watch  it 
for  four  months.  I  don't  expect  to  watch  it  much, 
now. 


46  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

MIFFLIN:  You  don't  mean  to  sit  there  and  tell  me 
you  don't  know  anything  about  it ! 

GIBSON:    No;  I  don't  know  anything  about  it. 

MIFFLIN:  Mr.  Gibson,  you're  an  extraordinary 
man! 

GIBSON:  No,  I'm  not.  What  I  did  was  extraor 
dinary,  but  I  was  only  an  ordinary  man  pushed  in 
to  a  hole. 

MIFFLIN:  Oh,  no;  surrendering  the  factory  was 
merely  normal.  What's  remarkable  is  your  staying 
away  from  watching  the  glorious  work  these  former 
hireling  workmen  of  your  factory  are  doing,  now 
they've  won  their  industrial  freedom.  Myself,  I've 
taken  rooms  near  by:  I  started  to  do  one  article; 
now  I  have  a  series.  And  oh,  the  glory  of  watching 
these  comrades  with  their  economic  shackles  off! 
Haven't  you  heard  anything  of  our  success? 

GIBSON:    Only  a  word  from  my  housemaid. 

MIFFLIN  [delightedly,  pinning  him] :  Aha !  There ! 
What  did  she  say?  "Only  a  word";  but  what  was 
it? 

GIBSON:    It  indicated — prosperity. 

MIFFLIN:    Ah!    Immense  prosperity,  didn't  it? 

GIBSON:    I  suppose  so.    Success,  at  any  rate. 

MIFFLIN;    Success?    It's  so  magnificent  that  now 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  47 

it's  inevitable  for  every  factory  of  every  kind  all  over 
this  country. 

GIBSON:    All  over  the  country? 

MIFFLIN:  Not  only  all  over  this  country!  The 
world  must  do  it.  Ah,  they've  done  it  in  a  country 
larger  than  this  already!  And  these  comrades  right 
here  are  showing  our  country  what  it  means.  I  don't 
begrudge  you  some  credit  for  having  begun  it,  Mr- 
Gibson.  But  you  only  anticipated  what  all  owners 
everywhere  are  going  to  have  to  do  before  the  work 
men  simply  take  the  factories.  They're  going  to 
take  them  because  they  have  the  inherent  right; 
and  they're  going  to  take  them  now,  either  by  direct 
action  or  by  the  technical  owners,  like  yourself, 
seeing  the  handwriting  on  the  wall. 

GIBSON:    What  do  you  mean  by  direct  action? 

MIFFLIN  :    Why,  just  taking  them ! 

GIBSON:    By  force? 

MIFFLIN  [deprecatingly  but  affably}:  Oh,  we  hope 
the  theoretical  owners  won't  reduce  them  to  such 
extremes.  There  might  be  a  few  cases  that  law- 
abiding  citizens  would  regret;  but  that  isn't  the  big 
thing.  Our  work  here  is  so  far  perhaps  on  the  small 
scale,  but  it  shows — it  shows — that  everything  must 
be  on  a  cooperative  basis! 


48  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:    Everything?    My  house,  too? 

MIFFLIN  [beaming] :    Your  house,  too. 

GIBSON  [amiably]:  How  about  your  gold  eye 
glasses? 

MIFFLIN  [laughing]:  Those  will  be  given  me  by 
the  state.  But  seriously,  aren't  you  coming  to  pay 
us  a  visit  at  the  factory? 

GIBSON :  Since  you  ask  me — what's  the  best  time? 
I  suppose  the  whistle  doesn't  blow  as  early  as  it  used  to . 

MIFFLIN  [laughing  pityingly]:  Whistle!  Oh,  my 
dear  sir!  This  only  confirms  me  in  my  old  idea  that 
the  technical  owners  didn't  have  practical  minds. 
You  don't  suppose  we  abolished  you,  and  then  didn't 
abolish  the  whistle?  That  whistle  hurt  self-respect. 
Really  I'm  sorry  it's  Sunday  and  I  can't  take  you 
over  there  this  minute  to  see  the  great  changes.  Talk 
about  collectivism!  That  factory  is  the  most  in 
teresting  place  in  the  world  to-day.  When  the  men 
were  working  eight  long  hours  a  day  under  a  master 
it  was  all  repression,  reserve;  their  individualities 
were  stifled.  Now  they  expand! 

GIBSON:    You  mean  they  talk  a  good  deal? 

MIFFLIN:  I  never  have  been  in  a  place  where 
there  was  so  much  talk  in  my  life.  They  talk  all  the 
time;  it  shows  they  are  thinking. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  49 

GIBSON:    Isn't  it  noisy? 

MIFFLIN  [delighted}:  It  is!  Every  man  has  his 
own  ideas  and  he  expresses  them.  It  means  a  fresh 
ness  and  originality  in  the  work  that  never  got  into 
it  before. 

GIBSON  [worried]:  Originality?  You  don't  mean 
to  say  they've  changed  any  of  the  features  of  The 
Gibson  Upright. 

MIFFLIN:  Oh,  no;  it's  the  same  piano — and  yet 
different!  I  almost  feel  I  could  tell  the  difference  by 
looking  at  one.  There's  no  change;  yet  now  it  has 
character.  And  those  men — those  men,  Mr.  Gib 
son — it's  brought  out  their  character  so!  They're 
thinking  all  the  time. 

GIBSON:    They're  working,  too,  of  course? 

MIFFLIN:  Working!  You  never  saw  men  work 
under  the  old  capitalistic  regime,  Mr.  Gibson !  Don't 
think  that  this  work  is  the  driven,  dogged  thing  it 
was  when  they  had  to.  This  is  work  with  dignity, 
with  enthusiasm,  with  spontaneity! 

GIBSON  [rising,  very  thoughtful] :  Well,  I  ought  to 
hope  that  it  is,  of  course! 

[He  walks  to  and  fro  a  moment,  then  comes  and 
rests  his  hands  on  the  back  of  a  chair 9  looking 
at  MIFFLIN.] 


50  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

Mr.  Mifflin,  I  went  into  this  with  open  eyes.  I  was 
angry  at  the  time,  but  I  had  thought  of  it  often. 
And  when  I  went  out  I  went  out!  Now  I've  kept 
away  and  I  don't  intend  to  do  any  prying — as  a 
matter  of  fact,  I'm  only  back  here  for  two  or  three 
days — but  I  have  some  natural  curiosity,  especially 
about  certain  particulars. 

MIFFLIN:  Everything  is  as  open  as  the  sunlight — 
no  capitalistic  secret  machinations.  Ask  anything 
you  like! 

GIBSON  :  Well,  then,  do  you  happen  to  know  what 
are  the  profits  for  these  four  months? 

MIFFLIN:  Frankly,  that's  a  detail  I  don't  know. 
But  I  do  know  that  everyone  is  delighted  and  that 
the  profits  have  been  large. 

GIBSON:    And  no  friction  among  the  men? 

MIFFLIN:  No — I — no,  none  at  all;  no  friction; 
nothing  that  could  be  called  friction  at  all. 

GIBSON:    Then  it's  a  complete  success? 

MIFFLIN:  Absolutely!  Why,  just  let  me  picture 
it  to  you,  Mr.  Gibson.  Don't  you  understand,  these 
men  are  not  hirelings  now;  they're  comrades,  a 
brotherhood!  You  should  see  them  as  they  come 
from  the  factory  in  the  warm  afternoon  sunshine. 
They  stop  in  groups  and  continue  discussions  of 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  51 

matters  of  interest  that  have  come  up  during  the  day. 
You  hear  the  most  eager  discussion,  such  spirited 
repartee;  and  in  the  factory  itself  these  groups  gather 
at  any  time.  When  there  may  be  some  tiny  bit  of 
friction  it  is  disposed  of  amicably,  comrade  to  com 
rade.  And  some  of  the  wives  of  the  workmen  have 
taken  the  greatest  interest!  Imagine  under  the 
capitalistic  regime  a  wife  coming  and  sitting  at  her 
husband's  side  and  taking  up  little  matters  of  im 
portance  with  him,  as  a  wife  should,  while  he  worked ! 
Oh,  the  wives  have  caught  the  idea,  too!  They're 
proprietresses  just  as  much  as  their  husbands  are 
proprietors.  And  you  can  see  how  keenly  they  feel 
the  responsibility  and  want  to  share  in  settling  all 
questions  that  come  up.  Then  they  walk  home 
with  their  husbands,  talking  it  all  over.  Mr.  Gibson, I 
tell  you,  sometimes  it  has  moved  me.  More  than  once 
I  have  found  my  eyes  moistening  as  I  watched  it. 

GIBSON:  And  do  you  happen  to  know — well, 
haven't  the  men  felt  the  need  for  a  certain  kind  of 
general  management  of  the  institution's  affairs? 

MIFFLIN  :  Oh,  that's  all  met — all  met  by  meetings 
of  the  governing  board,  the  committee. 

GIBSON:  No;  I  meant,  hasn't  any  need  been  felt 
for  a  man  with  P  rortain  specialized  knowledge?  Say, 


52  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

for  instance,  to  deal  with  the  purchasing  of  raw  ma 
terials? 

MIFFLIN  [somewhat  vague  and  puzzled]:  I  think 
they  did  do  this  through  an  individual  for  a  time.  I 
think  the  head  bookkeeper  was  given  charge  of  such 
matters;  at  least  I  think  so.  But  probably  they 
found  that  the  creation  of  such  an  office  was  unneces 
sary.  Purely  clerical  work.  At  least  I  haven't 
seen  him  aboat  for  several  weeks. 

GIBSON:  Was  he  there  on  just  one  share  of  the 
profits? 

MIFFLIN:  Why,  of  course!  That  is  the  sine  qua 
non. 

GIBSON  [thoughtfully] :  I  see.  [Paces  up  and  down 
and  halts  again.]  So  you  say  everybody  is  happy? 

MIFFLIN:    Radiant! 

GIBSON  :    Everybody  ? 

MIFFLIN  [beaming]:     Come  and  see! 

GIBSON:  Ah — Miss  Gorodna  seems  to  like  it  all, 
does  she? 

MIFFLIN:    Does  she! 

GIBSON  [a  little  falsely] :  None  of  them  are  hap 
pier  than  she  is,  I  suppose? 

MIFFLIN:  Miss  Gorodna  is  the  radiant,  joyous 
sunshine  of  the  whole  place! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  53 

GIBSON  [somewhat  ruefully] :    Well,  that's  pleasant 

news. 

[ELLA  appears  from  the  house.] 
ELLA:    It's  that  old  Ed  Carter  from  the  factory, 
Mr.  Gibson.    He  heard  from  Tom  Riley  you  was 
expected  back  and  he's  come  to  call  on  you. 

GIBSON:  Tell  him  to  come  right  out.  [Sees  CAR 
TER  beyond  ELLA.]  Come  out  here,  Carter!  Glad  to 
see  you! 

[They  shake  hands.  CARTER  is  unchanged  as 
to  head  and  whiskers,  but  wears  a  square-cut 
black  frock  coat,  or  "Prince  Albert"  with  trou 
sers  and  waistcoat  of  the  same  material;  old 
brown  shoes,  a  derby  hat,  a  blue  satin  four-in- 
hand  tie.] 

CARTER:    How  do  you  do,  Mr.  Gibson!    I  just 
thought  I'd  pay  my  respects,  as  Tom  Riley  passed 
the  word  round  the  factory  you  was  coming  back. 
GIBSON:    Sit  down,  sit  down! 
MIFFLIN  [exuberantly]:    How  do  you  do,  Carter, 
how  do  you  do!     [They  shake  hands  and  MIFFLIN 
pats  CARTER  on  the  shoulder.]     Look  at  him,  Mr.  Gib 
son!    Look  at  him!    Don't  you  see  what  the  New 
Freedom  has  done  for  him?     It's  in  his  eye!     That 
pride  of  liberty !     It's  in  his  step,  in  every  gesture  he 


54  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

makes.  [CARTER  strokes  his  whiskers.]  You're  old 
friends — equal  now,  equal  at  last.  I  won't  disturb 
you!  [Picks  up  his  hat,  magazines,  and  umbrella.] 
He  can  give  you  more  than  I  can,  Mr.  Gibson.  Good 
afternoon!  Good  afternoon! 

[He  goes  out  through  the  gate.] 

GIBSON:  Sit  down,  Carter.  Sit  down!  [They 
sit.]  Well,  is  everything  fine? 

CARTER  [heartily]:  Yes,  sir!  It  is,  Mr.  Gibson! 
Indeed  it  is!  [Glances  with  some  little  pride  at 
his  clothes.]  I  couldn't  of  expected  no  finer.  Fact  is, 
I  never  could  of  asked  for  anything  like  this,  even 
if  I'd  been  a  praying  man. 

V 

GIBSON:    Well,  I'm  glad  to  hear  it,  Carter! 

CARTER:  I  knowed  you  would  be,  Mr.  Gibson. 
It's  all  just  wonderful  the  way  things  are  working  out! 

GIBSON:  Everything  is  working  out  just  right, 
is  it? 

CARTER:  Oh,  I  don't  say  everything!  They's 
bound  to  be  some  little  mites  here  and  there.  You 
know  that  yourself. 

GIBSON  [grimly] :  Yes,  I  do!  What  are  your  little 
mites,  Carter? 

CARTER:  Well,  what  mostly  gits  my  goat  is  this 
here  Simpson's  wife,  Mrs.  Simpson. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  55 

GIBSON:  What  bothers  you  about  Simpson's 
wife? 

CARTER:  Well,  what  I  says,  woman's  place  is  the 
home,  and  this  here  Mrs.  Simpson — I — I  never  could 
stand  no  loud,  gabby  woman ! 

GIBSON:    You're  not  neighbours,  are  you? 

CARTER:  No!  She  spends  all  her  days  at  the 
factory;  you  might  think  she  was  running  the  whole 
place!  What's  worse'n  that,  you  know  they  elected 
me  chairman  o'  the  governing  committee,  and  she's 
all  the  time  trying  to  'lectioneer  me  out.  What  she 
wants  is  to  git  Simpson  in  for  chairman;  that'd  be 
jest  same's  her  bein'  chairman  herself,  the  way  she 
runs  Simpson!  That's  the  only  thing  that  worries 
me.  Everything  else  is  just  splendid,  splendid! 

GIBSON:  I  understand  you  don't  blow  the  whistle 
any  more.  What  hours  are  you  working  now? 

CARTER:  Well,  first  we  thought  we  ought  to  work 
about  six;  but  we  got  on  such  a  good  basis  a  good 
many  of  them  are  talkin'  how  they  think  that's  too 
much.  It'd  suit  me  either  way.  That  ain't  the 
trouble  over  at  that  factory,  Mr.  Gibson. 

GIBSON :    What  is  the  trouble  over  at  that  factory? 

CARTER  [with  feeling}:  Mr.  Gibson,  it's  the  in 
equality.  Look  at  me  now,  and  look  at  Simpson* 


56  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

Simpson  and  his  wife  haven't  got  a  child,  and  I  got 
seven,  every  one  of  'em  to  support,  and  my  married 
daughter  lost  her  husband  and  got  a  shock,  and  I  got 
her  and  her  three  little  ones  pretty  much  on  my 
hands.  And  Simpson  draws  down  every  cent  as 
much  as  what  I  do;  just  exactly  the  same.  And  if 
the  truth  was  told  he  don't  work  as  much  as  what  I 
do.  Then,  look  at  them  bachelors;  they  ain't  got 
nobody  to  support!  Well,  that's  got  to  be  settled! 

GIBSON:     How  are  you  going  to  settle  it? 

CARTER  {cheerfully}:  Oh,  the  committee  meetin' 
settles  everything  by  vote.  I'd  of  put  a  motion 
about  these  matters  at  some  o'  the  meetings  long  ago 
except  I'm  chairman  and  they  worked  a  rule  on  me 
the  chairman  can't  put  motions.  But  some  of  us  got 
it  fixed  up  to  git  it  put  over  at  the  meeting  to-morrow. 
That's  the  big  meeting  to-morrow — the  monthly 
one.  Don't  misunderstand  me,  Mr.  Gibson;  I  ain't 
makin'  no  complaint  about  these  here  details,  be 
cause  everything  else  is  so  splendid  and  prosperous 
it  seems  like  this  here  New  Dawn  Mr.  Mifflin  called 
it  in  his  article. 

GIBSON:    Nothing  else  worries  you  then,  Carter? 

CARTER:  Nothing  else  in  the  world,  Mr.  Gibson. 
Except  there  might  be  some  of  'em  don't  take  their 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  57 

responsibilities  the  way  I  could  wish.  Fact  is,  there's 
so  much  talkin'  gits  to  goin'  over  there  sometimes  you 
can't  hear  yourself  work.  Me?  I'm  an  honest 
worker,  if  I  work  for  you  or  work  for  myself.  But 
I  can't  claim  they're  all  that  way.  Some  that  used 
to  loaf,  you  can't  claim  they  don't  loaf  more  than 
they  did;  yes,  sir! 

GIBSON:  They  get  just  the  same  as  you  do, 
though,  don't  they? 

CARTER:  Oh,  yes!  That's  the  sinee  que  none;  it's 
the  brotherhood  between  comrades.  I  don't  mean 
to  complain,  but  they's  one  thing  that  don't  look  to 
me  just  fair.  It  took  me  four  years  to  learn  my  trade 
and  I'm  a  skilled  workman,  and  now  some  Hunny- 
acks  that  just  sends  strips  along  through  a  chute — 
and  it's  all  they  do  know  how  to  do — they  used  to  git 
two  and  a  half  a  day  to  my  six,  but  this  way  we  both 
git  just  the  same.  I  says  something  about  it  didn't 
seem  right  to  me,  and  one  them  Hunnyacks  called 
me  a  boor-jaw.  Well,  then  I  talked  to  Miss  Gorodna 
about  it. 

GIBSON:    What  did  Miss  Gorodna  say? 

CARTER:  Miss  Gorodna  says:  "But  you  both  get 
enough,  don't  you?" 

GIBSON:     Well,  don't  you? 


58  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

CARTER  [scratching  his  head]:  Yes,  plenty;  and  it 
sounds  all  right,  them  and  me  gittin'  the  same;  but 
I  can't  just  seem  to  work  it  out  in  my  mind  how  it  is 
right.  [Cheering  up.]  Mr.  Mifflin  says  himself, 
though,  it's  just  wonderful!  And  we  certainly  are 
makin'  great  money! 

GIBSON:     Then  all  you  poor  are  getting  rich? 
CARTER:    Yes;  looks  like  we  will  be. 

[During  these  speeches  NORA  has  appeared,  or 
rather  her   head  and  shoulders   have,  above 
the  hedge.     She  has  come  along  the  hedge  and 
now  stands  halting  at  the  gate.     She  wears 
a  becoming  autumn  dress  and  hat,  in  excellent 
taste;  carries  a  slim  umbrella.     She  has  a 
beautifully  bound  book  in  her  hand.] 
NORA  [opening  the  gate] :    Do  you  mind  my  coming 
in  the  side  gate,  Mr.  Gibson? 

[GIBSON,  startled  by  her  voice,  turns  abruptly 
from  CARTER  to  stare  at  her,  speaks  after  a 
pause,  slowly.] 

GIBSON:  No,  I  don't  mind  what  gate  you  come 
in. 

NORA  [coming  down  to  join  them]:    How  do  you 
do!    [Gives  him  her  hand] 
GIBSON:    How  do  you  do! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  59 

CARTER  [on  the  other  side  of  her] :  How  do  you  do, 
Miss  Gorodna! 

NORA  [for  a  brief  moment  confused  that  she  has  not 
noticed  CARTER]  :  Oh — oh,  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  Car 
ter!  [Turns  and  shakes  hands  with  him.  She  turns 
again,  facing  GIBSON.]  I  just  heard  you  were  here. 
I  wanted  to  bring  you  this  copy  of  Montaigne — if 
you'll  forgive  me  for  keeping  it  a  year. 

GIBSON:  I  gave  it  to  you.    Don't  you — remember? 

NORA:  Yes,  I — remember.  But  things  were  dif 
ferent  then.  Please.  I  think  I  oughtn't  to  keep  it 
now.  [He  takes  it,  places  it  gently  upon  the  table; 
they  sit  facing  each  other;  she  speaks  more  cheerfully 
and  briskly.]  I  came  to  see  you  on  a  matter  of  busi 
ness,  too. 

CARTER  :    Well,  then,  I'll  just  be— 

NORA:  Oh,  no!  Please  stay,  Mr.  Carter!  It's  a 
factory  matter.  [CARTER  coughs  and  sits.  NORA 
continues,  'not  pausing  for  that.]  It  was  about  that 
great  stock  of  wire  you  had  your  purchasing  agent 
buy  just  before  the — before  you  went  away,  Mr. 
Gibson. 

GIBSON:  I'm  glad  to  see  you  looking  so  well, 
Miss  Gorodna. 

NORA:    Thank  you!    If  you  remember,  you  must 


60  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

have  ordered  him  to  buy  all  the  wire  of  our  grade  that 
was  in  the  market  at  that  time.  At  any  rate,  we 
found  ourselves  in  possession  of  an  enormous  stock 
that  would  have  lasted  us  about  three  years. 

GIBSON:    Yes.     That's  what  I  wanted. 

NORA:  As  it  happened  it  turned  out  to  be  a  very 
good  investment,  Mr.  Gibson,  because  in  less  than  a 
month  it  had  gained  about  nine  per  cent,  in  value, 
and  three  weeks  ago  a  man  came  to  us  and  offered  to 
take  it  off  our  hands  at  a  price  giving  us  a  twenty-two 
per  cent,  profit! 

GIBSON:    Yes;  I  should  think  he  would. 

NORA:     So  of  course  we  sold  it. 

GIBSON  [checks  an  exclamation,  merely  saying}: 
Did  you? 

NORA:  Naturally  we  did!  Twenty-two  per  cent, 
profit  in  that  short  time!  Now  it  just  happens  that 
we've  got  to  buy  some  more  ourselves,  and  we  can't 
get  hold  of  any,  even  at  the  price  that  we  sold  it,  be 
cause  it  seems  to  have  kept  going  up.  I  thought 
perhaps  you  might  know  where  to  get  some  at  the 
price  you  bought  the  other,  and  you  mightn't  mind 
telling  us. 

GIBSON:  No;  I  wouldn't  mind  telling  you.  I'd 
like  to  tell  you. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  61 

NORA:    You  think  there  isn't  any? 

GIBSON:    I'm  sure  there  isn't  any. 

NORA:  Then  I'm  afraid  we'll  have  to  get  some 
back  from  the  people  we  sold  to.  Of  course  I'm 
anxious  to  show  the  great  financial  improvement 
as  well  as  other  improvements.  That's  partly  my 
province  and  Mr.  Carter's,  our  committee  chairman, 
besides  our  regular  work. 

GIBSON:  Mr.  MifHin  tells  me  that  you  had  a  sort 
of  general  manager  for  a  while  at  first. 

CARTER:  Oh,  that  was  Hill,  the  head  bookkeeper. 
He  left.  He  was  a  traitor  to  the  comrades. 

GIBSON:  Hill?  He  knew  quite  a  little  about  the 
business.  Why  did  he  leave? 

CARTER:  Why,  that  Coles-Hibbard  factory  went 
and  offered  him  a  big  salary  to  come  over  there;  more 
than  he  thought  he  could  get  cooperatin'  with  us. 

NORA:  Hill  was  always  a  capitalist  at  heart. 
We  certainly  haven't  needed  him! 

CARTER:  Oh,  everybody  was  glad  to  get  rid  cf 
Hill!  Better  off  without  him — better  off  without 
him! 

GIBSON:  I  suppose  it  was  really  an  economy,  his 
going? 

NORA  [smiling] :    It  resulted  in  economy. 


62  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:    Have  you  made  many  economies? 

NORA:    Oh,  a  great  many! 

CARTER:    Oh,  my!    Yes! 

NORA:  Economies!  [Her  manner  now  is  indul 
gent,  amused,  friendly,  almost  pitying.]  Mr.  Gibson, 
have  you  any  realization  of  what  you  threw  away 
at  that  place?  Don't  be  afraid,  I'll  never  bring  you 
the  figures.  I  wouldn't  do  such  a  thing  to  anybody! 

GIBSON:    Do  you  think  I  was  too  lavish? 

NORA:  We  couldn't  believe  it  at  first.  Just 
what  was  being  thrown  away  on  advertising,  for 
instance.  The  bill  you  paid  for  the  last  month  you 
were  there  was  five  thousand  dollars! 

CARTER:  That  was  the  figger!  It's  certainly  a 
good  one  on  you,  Mr.  Gibson. 

NORA:  We  cut  that  five  thousand  dollars  down 
to  three  hundred!  That  was  one  item  of  forty- 
seven  hundred  dollars  a  month  saved.  Just  one 
item! 

CARTER  [hilariously]:    Quite  some  item! 

NORA  [seriously  and  gently]:  Five  thousand  dol 
lars  a  month  to  advertise  a  piano  that  sells  for  only 
a  hundred  and  eighty-eight  dollars! 

CARTER:     That's  the  facts! 

NORA:    Mr.  Gibson,  did  you  really  ever  have  any 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  63 

idea  what  you  were  paying  in  commissions  to 
agents? 

GIBSON:    Yes,  I  did. 

NORA:  Why,  I  can't  believe  it!  Did  you  know 
that  you  paid  them  twenty  per  cent,  on  each  piano? 
Over  thirty-seven  dollars! 

GIBSON:    Yes. 

NORA:  But  wasn't  it  thrown  away?  I  can't 
understand  how  you  kept  the  factory  going  so  long 
as  you  did,  with  such  losses.  Why,  don't  you  know 
it  amounts  to  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  a 
year?  When  we  found  it  out  we  couldn't  see  how  you 
made  both  ends  meet,  and  we  thought  there  must 
have  been  some  mistake,  and  you'd  never  realized 
what  advantage  these  agents  were  taking  of  you. 

GIBSON:    Yes,  I  knew  what  they  got. 

NORA  [triumphantly]:  We  cut  those  commis 
sions  from  thirty-seven  dollars — to  twelve!  And 
that's  just  one  more  item  among  our  economies. 
Now  do  you  wonder  at  the  success  we're  making? 

GIBSON:  And  your  profits  have  been — satis 
factory? 

NORA:  The  very  first  month  our  profits  were 
four  thousand  dollars  more  than  the  last  month  you 
were  there! 


64  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:  That's  the  month  you  say  you  cut  out 
four  thousand  seven  hundred  dollars'  worth  of 
advertising. 

NORA:  And  the  next  month  we  cut  down  the 
commissions,  and  the  profits  were  five  thousand 
more! 

GIBSON:  But  those  were  returns  under  the  old 
commissions. 

NORA:  But  last  month,  with  new  economies, 
we  showed  a  larger  profit  than  you  had! 

GIBSON:    And  this  month? 

NORA:  We  shan't  know  that  until  the  report's 
read  at  the  meeting  to-morrow.  I  think  it  will  be 
the  largest  profit  of  all. 

CARTER:  That  bookkeeper's  workin'  on  it  to 
day.  Talked  like  he  was  going  to  cut  us  down  two 
or  three  thousand,  mebbe.  [Laughing.]  That's  the 
way  he  always  talks. 

NORA:    He  isn't  a  good  influence. 

CARTER:  No — too  gloomy,  too  gloomy  to  suit 
me! 

GIBSON:    What  about  the  two  other  bookkeepers? 

CARTER:  The  committee  voted  them  into  the 
packing  department;  and  they  ain't  much  good 
even  there.  It's  a  crime! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  65 

NORA:  They  weren't  needed.  Our  bookkeeping 
is  so  simplified  since  you  left! 

GIBSON:  It  all  seems  to  be  simplified,  Miss 
Gorodna. 

NORA:  Yes;  and  whatever  problems  come  up, 
they're  all  settled  at  our  meetings. 

[A  sound  of  squabbling  is  heard  upon  the  street, 
growing  louder  as  the  people  engaging  in  it 
approach  along  the  sidewalk.] 

CARTER:  There's  one  we  got  to  bring  up  and  do 
something  about  at  the  meetin'  to-morrow. 

GIBSON:  What  is  it?  [CARTER  goes  up  to  the 
gate.] 

NORA:  It's  that  Mrs.  Simpson;  she's  a  great 
nuisance. 

CARTER:  Yes,  it's  her  and  Simpson  and  Frankel. 
The  Simpsons  moved  into  a  flat  right  up  in  this  neigh 
bourhood.  Quite  some  of  the  comrades  live  up  round 
here  now. 

[FRANKEL  and  MRS.  SIMPSON  are  heard  dis 
puting  as  they  approach:  "Well,  what  you 
goin9  to  do  about  it!"  "I'll  show  you  what 
we9 re  goin9  to  do  about  it!99  "You  can't  do 
nothing  1 "  "  You  wait  till  to-morrow  and  see.99 
"I  got  my  rights,  ain't  I?99  and  so  on.] 


66  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

SIMPSON  [heard  remonstrating]:  Now,  Mamie, 
Mamie!  Frankel,  you  oughtn't  to  talk  to  Mamie 
that  way. 

[GIBSON,  interested  and  amused,  he  goes  part 
way  up  to  the  hedge.  NORA  is  somewhat 
mortified  as  the  disputants  reach  the  gate. 
GIBSON  speaks  to  them.] 

GIBSON:  How  do  you  do,  Simpson!  How  do  you 
do,  Mrs.  Simpson !  How  do  you  do,  Frankel !  Won't 
you  come  in  and  argue  here? 

MRS.  SIMPSON:    Wha'd  you  say,  Mr.  Gibson? 
GIBSON:    I  said  come  in;  come  in! 
SIMPSON  [uncertainly] :    Well,  I  don't  know. 
GIBSON:     Come  in!    Nobody  here  but  friends  of 
yours.     Sit  down.     I'd  like  to  hear  what  the  argu 
ment  was  about. 

[MRS.  SIMPSON  is  a  large  woman,  domineering 
and  noisy,  dressed  somewhat  expensively. 
She  is  proud  of  some  new  furs  and  a  pair  of 
quite  fancy  shoes.  SIMPSON  has  a  new  suit 
of  clothes  and  a  gold-headed  cane. 
FRANKEL  wears  a  cheap  cutaway  suit  and  is 

smoking  a  cigar.] 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  I  don't  care  who  hears  the 
argument!  Right's  right  and  wrong's  wrong! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  67 

FRANKEL:  You  bet  right's  right,  and  so's  my 
rights  right! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:    You  ain't  got  any  rights. 

FRANKEL  [hotly  to  everybody]:  Do  you  hear  she 
says  I  ain't  got  no  rights  at  all? 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  You  ain't  got  the  rights  you 
claim  you  got. 

FRANKEL:  She  comes  down  there  and  tries  to  run 
the  whole  factory.  Ask  any  of  'em  if  she  don't.  Ask 
Carter! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  I  own  that  factory  just  as  much 
as  anybody  does. 

SIMPSON:  Now,  Frankel,  you  be  careful  what  you 
say  to  Mamie! 

FRANKEL:  I  got  shares  in  that  factory  and  by 
rights  ought  to  have  as  many  votes  at  the  meetm' 
as  I  got  shares — let  alone  your  talking  about  trying 
to  root  me  out  of  my  profits! 

GIBSON  :  What' s  this  about  Frankel  having  shares  ? 

FRANKEL  [violently]:  You  bet  your  life  I  got 
shares!  And  I'm  going  to  have  my  shares  of  the 
money  at  that  meetin'  to-morrow! 

MRS.  SIMPSON  :     You  bet  your  life  you  ain't ! 

SIMPSON:  You  think  we're  goin'  to  vote  all  our 
profits  away  to  you? 


68  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

CARTER:  Wait  a  minute!  Ain't  I  the  chairman 
of  that 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  You  may  be  chairman  yet — • 
but  not  long! 

FRANKEL  [sharply  to  CARTER]  :  You  just  try  to  rule 
me  out  once! 

GIBSON:    What's  it  all  about? 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  I'll  soon  enough  tell  anybody 
what  it's  about! 

FRANKEL:    You  couldn't  tell  nothing  straight! 

CARTER  [deprecatingly]:  Now,  now,  this  here's 
just  one  of  our  little  side  difficulties,  you  might  say. 
What's  the  use  to  git  huffy  over  it,  we're  gittin'  along 
so  well  and  all?  The  trouble  is,  some  o'  the  men  and 
their  families  ain't  been  used  to  so  much  prosperity 
and  money  in  the  house  that  way,  all  of  a  sudden. 
Of  course  some  of  'em  got  to  living  too  high  and  run 
into  some  debt  and  everything. 

FRANKEL:  Well,  what  business  is  that  of  yours? 
The  factory  ain't  a  Home,  is  it?  And  you  ain't  the 
Matron,  are  you? 

CARTER:    I  don't  claim  such! 

FRANKEL:  It's  my  business,  ain't  it,  if  I  take  and 
live  on  the  cheaps  and  put  by  for  a  rainy  day,  and  hap 
pen  to  have  money  when  other  people  need  it  from  me? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  69 

SIMPSON:  That  much  may  be  your  business,  but 
I  reckon  it  was  our  business  when  you  come  blowin* 
round  the  factory,  first  that  you  owned  seven  shares 
besides  your  own;  then,  a  week  after,  you  says  seven 
teen;  then — 

GIBSON:     Well,  how  many  shares  has  he  got? 

SIMPSON:  He  was  claimin'  twenty-four  yester 
day. 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [violently] :  He's  bought  two  more 
since  last  night.  Now  he  claims  twenty-six! 

FRANKEL:    Yes;  and  I  own  twenty-six! 

CARTER:  That  ain't  never  goin'  to  do!  I  don't 
say  -it's  a  condition  as  you  might  say  we  exactly  see 
how  to  handle  right  now,  but  the  way  it  is,  you  cer 
tainly  got  us  all  disturbed  up  and  hard  to  git  at  the 
rights  of  it.  You  claimin'  all  them  shares— 

FRANKEL:  Well,  my  goodness,  you  git  the  work 
fer  them  shares,  don't  you?  What  you  yelpin' 
about? 

CARTER:  I  don't  say  we  don't  git  the  same 
amount  o'  work,  but 

FRANKEL:  Well,  how  you  git  it,  that's  my  look 
out,  ain't  it,  so  it's  done? 

CARTER:  But  you  claim  you  got  a  right  to  draw 
out  twenty-six  profits! 


70  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

FRANKEL:  Sure  I  do  when  I  furnish  the  labour 
for  twenty-six.  Am  I  crazy? 

CARTER:  But  that  way  you're  makin'  more  than 
any  ten  men  put  together  in  the  whole  factory ! 

FRANKEL:  Ain't  it  just?  What  you  goin'  to  do 
about  it? 

[During  this  speech  SHOMBERG  has  come  along 
the  street  and  stands  looking  over  the  gate.] 

CARTER:  Well,  so  fur,  we  ain't  been  able  to  see 
how  to  argue  with  you.  It  don't  look  right,  and  yet 
it's  hard  to  find  jest  what  to  say  to  you. 

FRANKEL:    You  bet  it  is! 

CARTER:  'Course,  that's  one  of  the  points  that's 
got  to  be  settled  at  the  meeting  to-morrow. 

FRANKEL:    You  bet  it'll  be  settled ! 

MRS.  SIMPSON  :  If  we  had  another  kind  of  a  chair 
man  it'd  been  settled  long  ago,  and  settled  right! 

CARTER  :     Now  look  here,  Mrs.  Simpson 

FRANKEL  [passionately]:  I  got  twenty-six  shares, 
and  I  earned  'em,  too!  [To  GIBSON.]  Look  at  the 
trouble  they  make  me — to  git  my  legal  rights,  let 
alone  the  rest  the  trouble  I  got!  [Fiercely  to  CARTER 
and  to  SIMPSON]:  Yes,  I  had  twenty-four  shares 
yesterday  and  I  got  twenty-six  to-day  and  I 
might  have  another  by  to-night.  Don't  think 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  71 

I'm  the  only  one  that's  got  sense  enough  not  to 
go  smearin'  his  money  all  round  on  cheap  limousines 
and  Queen  Anne  dinin'-room  sets  at  eighty-nine 
dollars  per!  [Dramatically  pointing  at  SHOM- 
BERG]:  There's  a  man  worth  four  shares  right 
now!  He  had  three  and  he  bought  Mitchell's 
out  last  night  at  Steinwitz's  pool  room.  Ask  him 
whether  he  thinks  I  got  a  right  to  my  twenty-six 
profits  or  not! 

SHOMBERG:    You  bet  your  life! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  I  guess  that  Dutchman  hasn't 
got  the  say-so,  has  he? 

FRANKEL:  No.  You  run  the  factory  now,  Mrs. 
Simpson ! 

CARTER:  Now  look  here;  this  ain't  very  much 
like  comrades,  is  it,  all  this  arguin'?  Sunday,  too! 

FRANKEL:     Oh,  I'm  tryin'  to  be  friendly! 

CARTER  [to  GIBSON]:  This  buyin'  of  shares  and 
all  has  kind  of  introduced  a  sort  of  an  undesirable 
element  into  the  factory,  you  might  say.  That's 
kind  of  the  bothersome  side  of  it,  and  it  can't  be 
denied  we  would  have  quite  a  good  deal  of  bother- 
someness  if  it  wasn't  for  our  meeting. 

NORA  [to  everybody  except  GIBSON]:  Don't  you 
all  think  that  these  arguments  are  pretty  foolish 


72  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

when  you  know  that  nothing  can  be  settled  except 
at  the  governing  committee's  meeting? 

SIMPSON:  That's  so,  Miss  Gorodna.  What's 
more,  it  don't  look  like  as  good  comrades  as  it  ought 
to.  I  don't  want  to  have  no  trouble  with  Frankel. 
He  might  have  the  rights  of  it  for  all  I  know.  Any 
ways,  if  he  hasn't  I  ain't  got  the  brains  to  make  out 
the  case  against  him,  and  anyways,  as  you  say,  the 
meetin'  settles  all  them  things. 

NORA:  Don't  you  think  you  and  Frankel  might 
shake  hands  now,  like  good  comrades? 

FRANKEL  [with  hostility]:  Sure,  I'll  shake  hands 
with  him! 

SIMPSON:    Well,  I  just  as  soon. 

MRS.  SIMPSON  :    Don't  you  do  it,  Henry ! 

SIMPSON:     Well,  but  he's  a  comrade. 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  Well,  you  can't  help  that!  You 
don't  have  to  shake  hands  with  him. 

SIMPSON:  Well,  consider  it  done,  Frankel.  Con 
sider  it  done! 

CARTER:  That's  right,  that's  right!  We  can 
leave  it  to  the  meeting. , 

SHOMBERG:  You  bet  you  can!  You  goin'  my 
way,  Frankel? 

[FRANKEL,  joining  him,  speaks  to  MRS.  SIMPSON.] 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  73 

FRANKEL:  I  s'pose  you're  going  to  come  to  the 
meetin',  Mrs.  Simpson? 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  Ain't  my  place  where  my  hus 
band  is? 

FRANKEL:    Well,  you  don't  git  no  vote! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  There's  goin'  to  be  a  motion  in 
troduced  for  the  wives  to  vote. 

FRANKEL:  Watch  it  pass!  Good-bye,  Mr.  Gib 
son! 

[GIBSON    nods.    FRANKEL    goes    away    with 
SHOMBERG.] 

SIMPSON:  Good-bye,  Mr.  Gibson!  All  this  don't 
amount  to  much.  It'll  all  be  settled  to-morrow. 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  Good-bye,  Mr.  Gibson!  [And  as 
they  go  out  the  gate] :  You  bet  your  life  it'll  be  settled ! 
If  that  wall-eyed  runt  thinks  he  can  walk  over  me 

CARTER  [looking  after  them,  laughing]:  Well, 
she's  an  awful  interfering  woman !  And  she  ain't  the 
only  one.  If  they'd  all  stay  home  like  my  wife  things 
would  be  smoother,  I  guess.  Still,  they're  smooth 
enough.  [Going] :  If  you  want  to  see  that,  Mr.  Gibson, 
we'll  be  glad  to  have  you  look  in  at  the  meeting. 
You're  always  welcome  at  the  factory  and  it'd  be  a 
treat  to  you  to  see  how  things  work  out.  It's  at 
eleven  o'clock  if  you'd  like  to  come. 


74  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:     Thanks,  Carter. 

CARTER:  Well,  good  afternoon,  Mr.  Gibson  and 
Miss  Gorodna.  Good  evening,  I  should  say,  I 
reckon. 

GIBSON:    Good  evening,  Carter. 

[The  light  has  grown  to  be  oj  sunset.     CARTER 
goes.] 

NORA  \goingtowardthegate]:  I'm  glad  to  see  you 
looking  so  well.  Good  evening! 

GIBSON:     Oh,  just  a  minute  more. 

NORA:    Well? 

GIBSON:  It  looks  as  if  that  might  be  a  lively 
meeting  to-morrow. 

NORA:    Is  that  the  old  capitalistic  sneer? 

GIBSON:  Indeed  it's  not!  It  only  seemed  to  me 
from  what  we've  just  heard  here 

NORA  [bitterly]:  Oh,  I  suppose  all  business 
men's  meetings  and  arguments,  when  their  interests 
happen  to  clash,  are  angelically  sweet  and  amiable! 
Because  you  see  that  my  comrades  are  human  and 
have  their  human  differences 

GIBSON:     Nora,  don't  be  angry. 

NORA:  I'll  try  not.  Of  course  it  isn't  all  a  bed  of 
roses!  Of  course  things  don't  run  like  oiled  ma 
chinery! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  75 

GIBSON:    But  they  do  run? 

NORA:    It's  magnificent! 

GIBSON:  Do  you  want  me  to  come  to  that  meet 
ing  to-morrow? 

NORA:  Yes;  I'd  like  you  to  see  how  reasonable 
people  settle  their  differences  when  they  have  an  ab 
solutely  equal  and  common  interest. 

GIBSON  [in  a  low  voice]:  Aren't  you  ever  tired? 
[For  a  moment  she  has  looked  weary.  She  instantly 
braces  up  and  answers  with  spirit.} 

NORA:     Tired  of  living  out  my  ideals? 

GIBSON:  No;  I  just  mean  tired  of  working. 
Wouldn't  you  rather  stop  and  come  here  and  live 
in  this  quiet  house? 

NORA  [incredulously]:    I? 

GIBSON:  Couldn't  there  even  be  a  chance  of  it, 
Nora?  That  you'd  marry  me? 

NORA  [amazed  and  indignant]:  A  chance  that  I 
would 

GIBSON:  Well,  then,  wouldn't  you  even  be  willing 
to  leave  it  to  the  meeting  to-morrow? 

[Already  in  motion  she  gives  him  a  look  of 
terror  and  intense  negation.] 

NORA:    Oh!     [She  runs  from  the  gateway.] 


ACT  III 


ACT  III 

The  scene  is  the  same  as  the  first,  the  factory  office — 
with  a  difference.  It  is  now  littered  and  disorderly. 
Files  have  been  taken  from  the  cases  and  left  heaped 
upon  the  large  table  and  upon  chairs.  Piles  of  mail 
are  on  the  desk  and  upon  the  table.  The  safe  is 
open,  showing  papers  in  disorder  and  hanging  from 
the  compartments.  Hanging  upon  the  walls,  va 
riously,  are  suits  of  old  overalls  and  men's  coats  and 
hats.  The  chairs  stand  irregularly  about  the  large 
table;  a  couple  of  old  soft  hats  are  on  the  water  filter. 
%he  former  posters  have  been  replaced  by  two  new 
ones.  One  shows  a  brawny  workman  with  whiskers, 
paper  cap,  and  large  sledge  hammer  leaning  upon  an 
upright  piano.  Rubrics:  ((The  Freedom  and  Fra 
ternity  Cooperative  Upright."  "The  Piano  You  Ought 
to  Support."  The  other  poster  shows  a  workman  with 
a  banner  upon  which  is  printed:  "No  Capital! 
The  Freedom  and  Fraternity  Cooperative  Upright 
The  Only  Piano  Produced  by  Toilers  Not  Ground 
by  Capital.  Buy  One  to  Help  the  Cause!" 

79 


80  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

NORA  is  busily  engaged  at  GIBSON'S  desk.    Her 
hat  and  jacket  hang  on  the  wall. 

CARTER  enters,  smoking  a  pipe;  he  wears  over 
alls  and  jumper.     He  carries  a  heavy  roll  of  type 
written  sheets.     Tosses  this  upon  the  table,  glances 
at  NORA,  who  does  not  notice  him,  divests  himself  of 
overalls  and  jumper,  and  puts  on  the  black  frock 
coat  which  he  wore  in  Act  II.    He  looks  at  his 
watch  and  at  the  clock  on  the  wall. 
CARTER  [straightening  out  his  coat]:    I  thought  it 
might  look  better  to  get  on  my  Sunday  clothes  for 
the  meeting,  as  you  might  say,  Miss  Gorodna.     Being 
as  I'm  chairman  it  might  look  more  dignified;  kind 
o'  help  give  a  kind  of  authority,  maybe. 
NORA  [absently,  not  looking  up]:    Yes. 
CARTER  [looking  at  his  watch  and  at  the  clock  again] : 
It  ought  to  be  wound  up  for  meetings.     [He  steps 
upon  a  chair;  moves  the  hands  of  clock.}     There,  dog 
gone  it,  the   key's  lost!    I   believe  Mrs.    Simpson 
took  that  key  for  their  own  clock.     [He  goes  to  the 
table;  sits,  unrolls  the  typewritten  sheets,  puts  on  his 
spectacles,  and  studies  the  sheets  in  a  kind  of  misery, 
roughing  his  hair  badly  and  making  sounds  of  moaning.] 
Miss  Gorodna,  can  you  make  this  figure  out  here 
for  me?    Does  that  mean  profits — or  what? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  81 

NORA:  Oh,  no;  that's  only  an  amount  carried 
over. 

CARTER:  They's  so  many  little  puzzlin'  things  in 
this  bookkeeper's  report.  I  don't  believe  he  under 
stands  it  himself.  I  don't  see  how  he  expects  me 
to  read  that  to  the  meeting.  Some  parts  I  can't 
make  head  or  tail  of.  Others  it  looks  like  he's  got 
the  words  jest  changed  round. 

NORA:  Oh,  we'll  work  it  all  out  at  the  meeting, 
Mr.  Carter! 

CARTER:  My,  we  got  a  lot  to  work  out  at  this 
meeting. 

NORA:    We'll  do  it,  comrade! 

CARTER  [cheering  up] :  Sure!  Sure  we  will! 
It's  wonderful  what  a  meeting  does;  I'm  always 
forgettin'  all  we  got  to  do  is  vote  and  then  the 
trouble's  over. 

[Instantly  upon  this  a  loud  squabbling  and 
women's  voices  are  heard  outside,  in  the 
factory.] 

NORA  [troubled] :  I  was  afraid  this  would  happen. 
Of  course  after  Mrs.  Simpson  came  other  wives  were 
bound  to. 

CARTER  [uneasily  moving  toward  the  door  to  the 
street] :  Well,  I  guess  I  better , 


82  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

[The  door  into  the  factory  is  flung  open  by  MRS. 
SIMPSON,  in  a  state  of  fury.  Another  woman's 
voice  is  heard  for  a  moment,  shouting: 
"Old  Cat!  Old  She-Cat!  Wants  to  be  a 
Tom-Cat!"] 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  See  here,  Carter,  if  you  still 
pretend  to  be  chairman  you  come  out  here  and  keep 
order! 

CARTER:  Now,  Mrs.  Simpson,  you  better  go  on 
home! 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [raging]:  Me!  My  place  is  right 
here,  but  I'm  not  going  to  stand  this  Commiskey 
woman's  insults!  She  come  down  here  this  morning 
with  her  husband  and  started  right  in  to  run  this 
factory.  My  heavens!  Ain't  she  got  five  children 
at  home?  As  long  as  you  still  pretend  to  be  chair 
man  I  demand  you  come  out  and  tell  this  woman  to 
go  about  her  business. 

SHREWISH  VOICE:    It  is  my  business! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  I'll  show  you!  I  was  here  first; 
everything  was  going  all  right.  Carter,  are  you 
going  to  come  out  here  and  do  your  duty  like  I  said? 

CARTER  [attempting  sternness  and  failing]:  You 
shut  that  door  I  I  got  to  get  this  report  in  order 
before  the  meeting.  I'm  not  comin'. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  83 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  Then  I  won't  be  responsible  for 
what  happens!  She  ain't  the  only  one.  Mrs. 
Shomberg  is  out  here  messin'  things  up,  too.  If  you 
won't  do  your  duty  there'll  be  direct  action  took 
here!  [She  goes  out  violently.] 

CARTER:  That's  got  to  come  up  in  meeting.  It 
certainly  has.  These  here  wives!  For  example, 
my  wife's  an  awful  quiet  woman,  but  you  s'pose 
she's  goin'  to  stand  it  when  she  hears  about  all  these 
others?  I'd  like  to  keep  her  at  home. 

NORA:     I  just  wonder— 

CARTER:  What  was  you  wondering,  Miss  Go- 
rodna? 

NORA:  Well,  if  that's  something  the  meeting 
can  settle? 

CARTER  [doggedly]:     Well,  it's  got  to  vote  on  it. 

NORA:  We  did  vote  on  Mrs.  Simpson  last 
meeting. 

CARTER:  Well,  we  got  to  vote  on  her  and  all  the 
rest  of  'em  this  time. 

NORA:  It  didn't  seem  to  settle  Mrs.  Simpson,  did  it? 

CARTER:  Well,  it  hadn't  got  so  bad  then.  Now 
it's  got  to  be  settled!  We  got  to  git  everything 
fixed  up  now. 

[A  frightful  dispute  is  heard  in  numerous  male 


84  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

voices;  some  speaking  Italian,  some  Yiddish, 
and  some  broken  English.  This  grows  louder 
as  FRANKEL  rushes  in,  throwing  the  door 
shut  behind  him  and  leaning  against  it, 
wiping  his  forehead.] 

FRANKEL:  Life  ain't  worth  livin'!  Life  ain't 
worth  livin' ! 

CARTER  :    Serves  you  right,  Frankel ! 

[At  the  filter  FRANKEL  pours  water  from  the 
glass  upon  a  dirty  handkerchief  and  passes 
the  handkerchief  over  his  forehead.] 
FRANKEL:    I  got  to  git  some  peace!    I  got  to 
collect  myself. 

CARTER:    That  shows  you  ain't  got  no  rights  like 
you  claimed.     You  can't  control  your  labour  element. 
FRANKEL     [bitterly]:     I'll   control   'em   all   right! 
I'll  show  'em  who's  their  master ! 

[A  man's  head  with  shaggy  hair  and  ragged 
whiskers  is  thrust  in  at  the  factory  door. 
This  is  POLENSKI.] 

POLENSKI  [ferociously]:  Are  you  goin'  to  come 
out  here  like  a  man? 

FRANKEL:  You  bet  I'm  comin'  out  there,  Po- 
lenski!  I'll  show  you  who's  the  man  here!  You 
Hunnyacks  try  to  browbeat  me ! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  85 

[As  he  goes  out,  babbling  fiercely,  the  howls  of  a 

Roman  mob  are  heard  greeting  him.] 
CARTER:    I  don't  feel  no  sympathy  with  him. 
NORA:    No;  I  should  think  not! 

[A  more  distant  outbreak  of  the  mob  is  heard, 
brief  but  fierce,  and  just  a  moment  before  it 
ceases  MIFFLIN  enters,  beaming.  He  is 
dressed  as  usual,  with  his  umbrella  and  the 
same  old  magazines  and  newspapers  under 
his  arm.] 

MIFFLIN  :  Everything  is  lovely !  How  do  you  do, 
Miss  Gorodna!  Carter,  old  fellow!  It's  a  great 
morning,  a  great  morning!  Mr.  Gibson  drove  me 
down  in  his  car.  It's  wonderful  to  feel  the  inspi 
ration  it's  going  to  be  for  an  ex-capitalist  to  see 
this  place  and  its  harmony.  My  phrase  for  it  is 
"harmonized  industry."  It  will  mark  an  epoch  for 
him. 

[GIBSON  comes  in.     MIFFLIN  greets  him.] 
MIFFLIN:    Ah,   Mr.   Gibson!    You'll   see  a  dif 
ference!    You'll  see  a  difference! 

GIBSON:  Yes,  I  do.  Good  morning,  Miss 
Gorodna ! 

NORA  \just  barely  looking  round]:  Good  morning, 
Mr.  Gibson. 


86  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

MIFFLIN:  I  was  just  saying  what  an  inspiration 
it's  going  to  be  for  you  to  see  what  we're  doing  down 
here.  [Pats  CARTER'S  shoulder.]  These  noble  fel 
lows  are  teaching  us  intellectuals  a  lesson.  I  keep 
going  among  them;  what  they're  doing  here  keeps 
flowing  into  me.  You'll  get  it,  Mr.  Gibson.  You'll 
get  it,  too ! 

[Beamingly  Tie  goes  out  into  the  factory.} 
CARTER  [cordially]:    Take  a  chair,  Mr.  Gibson. 
Make  yourself  right  at  home! 
GIBSON:     Thanks! 

[He  makes  a  grave  tour  of  inspection  of  the 
place,    his    expression    noncommittal;    goes 
about  casually  without  making  a  point  of  it; 
he  writes  his  initials  in  the  dust  on  a  filing 
case.     He  turns  and  looks  at  NORA  thought 
fully;  she  has  not  seemed  to  notice  him.] 
Do  you  think  I  will,  Miss  Gorodna? 
NORA   [not   looking   up]:    Do   I   think   you   will 
what? 

GIBSON:  That  I'll  get  what  Mifflin  meant? 
That  it  will  be  an  inspiration  to  me  to  see  this 
meeting? 

NORA:  I  don't  know  what  will  be  an  inspiration 
to  you. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  87 

GIBSON:  I  know  one  thing  that  is — a  brave 
woman ! 

[The  only  sign  she  gives  is  that  her  head  bends 

over  her  work  just  a  little  more.] 

Carter,  do  you  think  this  meeting  is  going  to  be  an 
inspiration  to  me? 

CARTER:  Well,  Mr.  Gibson,  since  the  time  you 
give  up  our  rights  to  us,  as  Mr.  Mifflin  says,  we're  an 
inspiration  to  the  whole  world.  All  the  time!  Yes, 
sir;  and  we  would  be,  too,  if  we  could  jest  git  these 
dog-goned  inequalities  straightened  out.  We  got 
this  Frankel  trouble  on  our  hands,  and  them  wives, 
and  one  thing  and  another,  though  they  ain't  both- 
erin'  me  so  much  as  my  own  rights.  But  they're 
goin'  to  git  brought  up  in  the  meeting.  You'll  see! 

GIBSON:     Is  the  safe  usually  kept  open? 

Carter  [heartily] :  Why,  yes,  sir;  open  to  each  and 
all  alike* 

GIBSON  :  Oh,  yes,  of  course !  Seems  to  be  some  busi 
ness  mail  left  over  here. 

CARTER:  Oh,  yes.  But  you'll  find  every  one  of 
'em's  been  opened;  we  never  miss  opening  a  letter. 
You  see  they's  checks  in  some  of  'em. 

GIBSON:  I  see.  Then  everything  is  running  right 
along,  is  it,  Carter? 


88  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

CARTER:    Oh,  sure!    Right  along,  right  along! 
[The  uproar  breaks  out  again.     FRANKEL  bursts 
in,  wiping  his  forehead  as  before.    He  hur 
ries  to  the  water  filter  for  more  water.] 

FRANKEL, :  By  golly!  The  bloodsuckers!  They 
want  my  life!  They  don't  get  it!  Hello,  Mr. 
Gibson!  Well,  I  am  pleased  to  see  you!  Say,  Mr. 
Gibson,  lemme  say  something  to  you.  Look  here  a 
minute.  [He  draws  GIBSON  aside.] 

GIBSON:    What  is  it,  Frankel? 

FRANKEL  [hastily,  in  a  low  voice]:  Mr.  Gibson, 
keep  it  under  your  hat,  but  I  got  a  pretty  good 
interest  in  this  factory  right  now.  What  date  I'm 
goin'  to  own  it  I  won't  say.  But  what  I  want  to  put 
up  to  you :  How  much  would  you  ask  me  to  manage 
it  for  me? 

GIBSON:    What? 

FRANKEL:  I  wouldn't  be  no  piker;  when  it  comes 
to  your  salary  you  could  pretty  near  set  it  yourself. 

GIBSON:  I'm  afraid  I've  already  had  an  offer  that 
would  keep  me  from  accepting,  Frankel. 

FRANKEL:  When  the  time  comes  I'll  git  a  man 
ager  somewhere;  no  place  like  this  can't  run  itself;  I 
seen  that  much. 

GIBSON;    Even  if  I  didn't  have  an  offer,  Frankel, 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  89 

I  doubt  if  I'd  accept  yours.    You  know  I  used  to 

have  some  little  trouble  here. 
FRANKEL:    You  got  my  sympathy  now!    I  got 

troubles  myself  here.     [Hastily  drinks  another  glass 

of  water.]     Well,   where's   that   meeting?     They're 

late,  ain't  they? 

CARTER:    If  they    are    it's    your   fault.     Them 

wops  of  yours  won't  hardly  let  a  body  git  by  out 

yonder. 

[SALVATORE  and  SHOMBERG  come  in  from  the 
factory,  SALVATORE  pausing  in  the  doorway 
to  shout  in  the  direction  of  an  audible  dis 
turbance  in  the  distance.] 

SALVATORE:  Oh,  shut  up;  you'll  git  your  pay! 
[Following  SALVATORE  come  SIMPSON  and  his 
wife  and  RILEY.  They  all  speak  rather 
casually  but  not  uncordially  to  GIBSON. 
MIFFLIN  is  with  them,  his  hand  on  SIMP 
SON'S  shoulder.  The  outbreak  outside  sub 
sides  in  favour  of  a  speech  of  extreme  violence 
in  a  foreign  language.  Italian,  Yiddish,  or 
whatever  it  is,  it  seems  most  passionate,  and 
by  a  good  orator.  It  continues  to  be  heard 
as  the  members  of  the  committee  take  their 
seats  at  the  big  table.  MIFFLIN  beams  and 


90  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

nods  at  GIBSON;  and  takes  his  seat  with 
the  committee.] 

SHOMBERG  [hotly,  to  MRS.  SIMPSON]:  Here,  you 
ain't  a  member  of  this  committee!  Git  her  chair 
away  from  her  there,  Salvatore!  She's  got  no  right 
here! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:    Oh,  I  haven't? 

SHOMBERG:  Already  twice  this  morning  I  got 
hell  from  my  own  wife  the  way  this  woman  treats  her 
tryin'  to  chase  her  out  the  factory.  You  think  you're 
on  this  committee? 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [taking  a  chair  triumphantly]:  My 
husband  is.  I  was  here  last  time,  and  I'm  goin*  to 
keep  on. 

CARTER  [referring  to  the  speech  in  the  factory]: 
My  goodness!  We  can't  do  no  work. 

RILEY  :  Frankel,  that's  your  business  to  shut  'em  up. 

FRANKEL:  Talkin'  ain't  doin'  no  harm.  Let 
'em  talk. 

RILEY:  Yes,  I  will!  [Goes  to  the  door ;  and  roars]: 
Cut  that  out!  I  mean  business!  [Shuts  the  door 
and  returns  angrily  to  his  seat.] 

CARTER  [rapping  on  the  table  with  a  ruler]:  The 
meeting  will  now  come  to  order!  Minutes  of  the 
last  meeting  will  now  be  read  by  the  secretary. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  91 

MIFFLIN  [to  GIBSON,  beaming] :    You  see? 

NORA  [rising,  minute  book  in  hand] :  The  meeting 
was  called  to  order  by  Chairman  Carter,  Monday, 
the 

SALVATORE:    Aw,  say! 

FRANKEL:    I  object! 

SIMPSON:  What's  the  use  readin'  all  that?  It's 
only  about  what  we  done  at  the  last  meeting. 

SALVATORE:    We  know  that  ourselves,  don't  we? 

SHOMBERG:  What'd  be  the  use?  What'd  be  the 
use? 

RILEY:    All  we  done  was  divide  up  the  money. 

SALVATORE:  Cut  it  out,  cut  it  out!  Let's  get  to 
that! 

CARTER:    All  right,  then.    I  move 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [shrilly]:  You  can't  move.  The 
chairman  can't  move.  If  you  want  to  move  you 
better  resign! 

CARTER  :  Well,  then,  somebody  ought  to  move 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  Cut  out  the  moving.  She  don't 
haf  to  read  'em,  does  she? 

CARTER:  All  right,  then.  Don't  read  'em,  Miss 
Gorodna. 

SALVATORE:    Well,  git  some  kind  of  a  move  on. 

CARTER:    I  was  thinkin' 


92  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

NORA  [prompting] :    The  next  order 

CARTER:    What? 

NORA:    The  next  order  of  business 

CARTER  :   Oh,  yes !   The  next  order  of  business 

NORA:    Is  reports  of  committees. 

CARTER  [in  a  loud,  confident  voice] :  The  next  order 
of  business  is  reports  of  committees.  [Takes  up  some 
papers  and  goes  on  promptly.]  The  first  committee 
I  will  report  on  is  my  committee.  I  will  state  it  is 
very  difficult  reading,  because  consisting  of  figures 
written  by  the  bookkeeper,  and  pretty  hard  to 
make  head  or  tail  of,  but 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  Oh,  here,  say!  We  got  import 
ant  things  to  come  up  here!  Tore  we  know  how 
much  we're  goin'  to  divide  amongst  us  we  got  to 
settle  at  once  for  all  and  for  the  last  time  how 
it's  goin'  to  be  divided  and  how  much  each  family 
gets. 

SALVATORE:    Family? 

CARTER  AND  SHOMBERG  [together]:    Yes — family! 

RILEY:    You  bet — family! 

CARTER:    Yes,  sir! 

SIMPSON:  You  bet  we'll  settle  how  it's  goin'  to  be 
divided ! 

SALVATORE :    Why,  even,  of  course;  just  like  it  has 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  93 

been.     Ain't  that  the  principle  we  struggled  for  all 
these  years,  comrades? 

MRS.  SIMPSON:    Well,  it's  not  goin'  to  be  divided 
even  no  longer. 

SALVATORE  [violently] :    Yes,  it  is ! 

SIMPSON  AND  CARTER  [hotly] :    It  is  not! 

SALVATORE  :    You  bet  your  life  it  is ! 

SHOMBERG:  I'd  sooner  wring  your  neck,  you 
sporty  Dago! 

SALVATORE:    Now  look  here,  comrade 

SHOMBERG:  Comrade!  Who  you  callin'  com 
rade?  Don't  you  comrade  me! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  You  dirty  little  Dago!  You  got 
no  wife  to  support!  Livin'  a  bachelor  life  of  the 
worst  kind,  you  think  you'll  draw  down  as  much  as 
my  man  does? 

SALVATORE  [fiercely]:  Simpson,  I  don't  want  to 
hit  no  lady,  but  if— 

SIMPSON  [roaring] :    Just  you  try  it ! 

MIFFLIN  [rising  in  his  place,  still  beaming,  and 
tapping  on  the  table  with  his  fountain  pen] :  Gentle 
men,  gentlemen!  This  is  all  healthy!  It's  a  whole 
some  sign,  and  I  like  to  see  these  little  arguments. 
It  shows  you  are  thinking.  But,  of  course,  it  has 
always  been  understood  that  in  any  such  system  of 


94  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

ideal  brotherhood  as  we  have  here  we,  of  course,  cling 
to  the  equal  distribution  of  all  our  labours.  We 

SALVATORE  [fiercely]:  We?  How  do  you  git  in 
this?  Where  do  you  git  this  we  stuff? 

FRANKEL:    Yes;  what  you  mean — we? 

SALVATORE:  You  ain't  goin'  to  edge  in  here. 
Your  kind's  done  that  other  places.  Some  soft- 
handed  guy  that  never  done  a  day's  work  in  his  life 
but  write  and  make  speeches,  works  in  and  gits  work- 
ingmen  to  elect  him  at  the  top  and  then  runs  'em 
just  the  same  as  any  capitalist. 

MIFFLIN  [mildly  protesting]:  Oh,  but  you 
mustn't 

SALVATORE  [sullenly]:  That's  all  right;  I  read 
the  news  from  Russia! 

MIFFLIN  [firmly  beaming] :  But  I  was  upholding 
your  contention  for  an  equal  distribution. 

SALVATORE  [much  surprised  and  mollified]:  Oh, 
that's  all  right  then;  I  didn't  git  you! 

MIFFLIN:  Right  comrade!  I'm  always  for  the 
under  dog. 

SHOMBERG:  Call  him  an  under  dog!  He's  a 
loafer  and  don't  know  a  trade! 

RILEY  :  He  was  gettin'  three  and  a  half  a  day,  and 
now  he  draws  what  I  do ! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  95 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [attacking  RILEY  fiercely] :  Yes,  and 
you're  gettin'  as  much  as  my  husband  is,  and  your 
wife  left  you  seven  years  ago  and  you  livin'  on  the 
fat  of  the  land;  Stein  witz's  pool  parlour  every  night 
till  all  hours! 

SHOMBERG  [attacking  her]:  Yes,  and  you  and 
your  husband  ain't  got  no  children ;  we  got  four.  I'd 
like  to  know  what  right  you  got  to  draw  down  what 
we  do — you  with  your  limousine ! 

CARTER:  What  business  you  got  to  talk,  Shom- 
berg?  When  here's  me  with  my  seven  and  the  three 
of  my  married  daughter — eleven  in  all,  I  got  on  my 
shoulders.  Do  you  think  you're  goin'  to  draw  down 
what  Fd  ought  to? 

ALL  [shouting]:  "Here!  We  got  rights,  ain't 
we? "  "Where's  the  justice  of  it? "  " I  stand  by  my 
rights."  "Nobody's  goin'  to  git  'em  away  from  me." 
"I  bet  I  git  my  share."  "Oh,  dry  up!"  "You 
make  me  laugh!"  And  so  on. 

RILEY  [standing  up  and  pounding  the  table,  roar 
ing  till  they  are  forced  to  listen] :  You  ain't  any  of  you 
got  the  rights  of  it!  The  rights  of  it  is — Who  does 
the  most  work  gets  the  most  money.  Look  at  me  on 
that  truck! 

CARTER  [pounding  on  the  table  with  a  ruler] :    You 


96  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

set  down,  Riley!  The  rights  of  it  ain't  who  does  the 
most  work;  but  I'm  willin'  to  leave  it  to  who  does 
the  hardest  work. 

SIMPSON:    No,  sir!    It's  who  does  the  best  work. 

CARTER:  There  ain't  only  three  men  in  my  de 
partment  out  there  that  ain't  soldiering  on  their  job. 
I  do  twice  as  much  skilled  work  as  any  man  at  this 
table,  and  I  do  it  better.  [Shouts  of  "  Yes,  you  do!" 
"RatsI"  "Shut  up!"]  I'll  leave  it  to  Mr.  Gibson; 
he  knows  good  work  if  he  don't  know  nothing  else. 
[Shouts  of  "Leave  it  to  nothing!"  "How'd  he  get  in 
this?"  "You're  crazy!"] 

CARTER  [bawling]:  Get  back  to  business!  We're 
running  a  meeting  here! 

FRANKEL:  For  goodness'  sake,  we  ain't  getting 
nowhere! 

SALVATORE:  No,  and  you  ain't  never  goin'  to  git 
nowhere  long  as  you  try  to  work  big  business  and 
privilege  on  me!  We  got  to  keep  it  like  Mr. 
Mifflin  says;  it's  a  sacred  brotherhood,  everything 
divided  equal.  Let's  get  to  business  and  count  that 
money. 

FRANKEL:  Well,  for  goodness'  sake,  let's  get 
some  system  into  this  meeting! 

RILEY:    How  you  goin'  to  get  any  system  into  it 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  97 

before  you  settle  what's  going  to  be  done  about 
Frankel's  twenty-four  shares? 

CARTER:  Twenty-four?  He's  got  twenty-six;  he 
got  two  more  yesterday! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  He's  got  thirty-five;  he  got  nine 
more  this  morning! 

FRANKEL  [hotly] :    You  bet  I  got  thirty-five! 

ALL:    What!    Thirty-five  shares! 

FRANKEL:  Well,  ain't  I  got  thirty-five  men 
workin'  out  there? 

SIMPSON:  How  in  thunder  we  goin'  to  settle 
about  him  holdin'  all  them  shares? 

SALVATORE:  Are  we  goin'  to  let  him  take  all  that 
money?  Thirty-five 

FRANKEL  [leaping  up,  electrified]:  How  d'you 
expect  I'm  goin'  to  pay  my  men  if  I  don't  get  it? 
Are  you  goin'  to  let  me  take  them  thirty-five  shares' 
profits?  No,  I  guess  you  ain't!  You  ain't  got  no 
say  about  it!  The  money's  mine  right  now!  I  get 
it! 

SIMPSON:    I  object! 

RILEY  [pounding  the  table] :  Look  at  the  ornery 
little  devil!  He  took  advantage  of  the  poor  work- 
ingmen's  trustfulness,  got  'em  in  debt  to  him,  then 
went  and  begun  buying  over  their  shares,  so  they  had 


98  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

to  leave  the  shop  because  he  wouldn't  hire  'em  to  do 
their  own  work,  but  went  and  hired  cheaper  men. 
Listen  to  the  trouble  they  make  among  us! 

SIMPSON:    It's  an  undesirable  element. 

RILEY:  He  had  no  right  to  buy  them  workmen 
out  in  the  first  place. 

SIMPSON:  And  on  top  of  that  we  can't  git  no  work 
turned  out  because  the  fourteen  skilled  men  he's  got 
in  there  have  gone  and  started  striking  just  like  the 
unskilled  and  they  tie  up  everything. 

RILEY:  I  claim  he  hadn't  no  right  to  buy  them 
shares. 

FRANKEL:    I  didn't? 

ALL  [except  SHOMBERG]:    No,  you  didn't! 

FRANKEL  {hotly  at  RILEY]  :  You  look  here.  S'pose 
you  needed  money  bad?  Ain't  you  got  a  right  to 
sell  your  share? 

RILEY:    Sure  I  have! 

FRANKEL:  What  you  talkin'  about,  then?  Ain't 
I  got  a  right  to  buy  anything  you  got  a  right  to  sell? 

RILEY:  No,  you  ain't,  because  I  object  to  the 
whole  system. 

FRANKEL:  You  do !  [Points  to  SHOMBERG.]  Look 
there!  Ask  him  what  he  says.  He's  got  four. 

RILEY:    I  don't  care  who's  got  what!    All  I  say 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  99 

is  I  object  to  the  system,  and  this  factory '11  git  burned 
up  if  them  wop  workmen  stay  here  jest  because  he 
holds  them  shares! 

SIMPSON:    You're  right  about  that,  Riley! 

SALVATORE:  Why,  you  can't  hear  yourself  think 
out  in  the  shops  when  you  might  be  havin'  a  quiet 
talk  with  a  friend. 

RILEY:  When  them  wops  gits  to  talkin'  strike  it 
sounds  more  like  a  revolution  to  me! 

SIMPSON:  Why,  they're  all  inflamed  up.  They 
know  what's  what,  all  right. 

FRANKEL:    What  do  they  know? 

SALVATORE:  They  know  you're  drawing  down  on 
them  shares  about  five  or  six  times  the  wages  you  pay 
'em.  What  I  claim  is  that  extra  money  he  makes 
ought  to  be  divided  amongst  us. 

[Emphatic  approval  from  CARTER,  SIMPSON, 
and  RILEY.  "Yes  sir!  You  bet!  That's 
what!99] 

FRANKEL:    Just  try  it  once! 

SIMPSON:  Them  men  ain't  workin'  for  you, 
they're  workin'  for  us.  Ain't  we  the  original  owners? 

FRANKEL  :    Y-a-a-a-h ! 

RILEY  {pounding  the  table]:  That's  the  stuff! 
We're  the  original  owners!  Any  money  made  on 


100  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

them  wops'  wages  is  ours.    We'll  tend  to  business 
with  them! 

[The  noise  outside  has  increased  deafeningly; 
there  is  a  loud  hammering  on  the  door,  which 
is  now  flung  open,  and  POLENSKI  in  patched 
overalls,  a  wrench  in  his  hand,  enters  fiercely, 
slamming  the  door  behind  him.  He  begins 
an  oration  at  the  door.] 

POLENSKI:  Don't  we  git  a  hearing?  We  got  to 
take  direct  action  in  this  rotten  factory  before  we 
even  get  a  word  in.  [Shouts  from  the  committee: 
"Get  out  of  here,  you  wop!"  "You  ain9t  got  no 
business  here!"  "This  a  committee  meeting!"] 
Committee  meeting,  my  nose!  [Shakes  his  fist 
at  FRANKEL.]  Do  you  know  what  you're  up 
against?  You're  up  against  the  arm  of  labour! 
You  monkey  with  labour  a  little  more  the  way 
you  have,  and  you'll  be  glad  if  it's  only  a  little 
nitroglycerin  that  gits  you.  Hired  us  for  two  and  a 
half,  did  you? 

FRANKEL:  My  goodness,  I  rose  you  to  three  this 
morning! 

POLENSKI:  Yes;  rose  us  to  three!  What  do  we 
care  you  rose  us  to  four,  to  five,  to  six.  Look  what 
the  rest  you  loafers  here  at  this  table  is  gittin' ! 


THE  GIBSON  UT  l 

SALVATORE  :    Here,  don't  you  bring  us  in  this ! 

POLENSKI  [half  screaming] :  I  won't?  Every  one 
of  you  is  in  his  class.  [Points  at  FRANKEL.]  You 
sit  up  here  and  call  yourself  a  committee,  dividin' 
up  the  money  and  runnin'  this  factory  that  belongs 
just  as  much  to  us  men  he  hired  as  it  does  to  you! 
It  belongs  to  us  more — because  we're  the  real 
workin'men!  [Beats  his  chest.]  My  God!  Don't  the 
toilers'  wrongs  never  git  avenged?  Are  we  always 
goin'  to  be  wage  slaves?  We  demand  simple  justice, 
We  been  workin'  here  two  dollars  and  a  half  a 
day;  now  we  want  the  wage  scale  abolished  and 
double  profits  for  each  of  us  for  every  day  we 
worked  here  before  we  found  out  what  was  goin' 
on,  with  you  sittin'  up  here  like  kings  in  your  robes, 
tellin'  the  poor  man  he  should  have  only  two  dollars 
and  a  half  a  day — sittin'  up  here  in  your  pomp  with 
your  feet  on  the  neck  of  labour !  [  To  CARTER]  :  You, 
in  your  fine  broadcloth,  ridin'  up  and  down  the 
avenues  in  limousines  with  never  a  thought  for  the 
toiler!  Don't  think  for  a  minute  we  deal  with  this 
little  vampire  here.  You're  all  in  the  same  boat,  and 
the  toiling  masses  will  hold  every  single  one  of  you  just 
as  responsible  as  it  does  him,  you — you  capital 
ists! 


THE  'GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

[Instantly  upon  this  the  door  is  opened  enough 
to  admit  the  heads  of  two  wops  very  similar  to 
POLENSKI.] 

FIRST  WOP:    Parasites! 

SECOND  WOP:    Bloodsuckers! 

POLENSKI:  Capitalists,  parasites,  bloodsuckers, 
bourgeoisie!  Do  you  think  we  expect  any  justice 
out  of  you?  Do  you  think  I  come  in  this  room  ever 
dreaming  you'd  grant  our  demands?  No!  We 
knew  you!  And  if  we  do  assert  our  rights,  what  do 
you  do?  You  set  your  hellhounds  of  police  on  us! 
Haven't  we  been  agitatin'  for  our  rights  among  you 
for  days?  We've  got  our  answer  from  you,  but  you 
look  out  for  ours,  because  as  sure  as  there  is  a  hell 
waitin'  for  all  parasites,  we'll  send  you  there,  and 
your  factory,  too !  [Looks  up  at  the  clock.]  My  God, 
is  that  clock  right?  [He  runs  out  at  top  speed.] 

SIMPSON:    They  don't  seem  to  know  their  place! 

SHOMBERG:  Them  fellers  think  they  own  the 
earth. 

RILEY:  Next,  they'll  be  thinkin'  they  own  our 
factory! 

CARTER  [solemnly] :  Well,  sir,  I  wonder  what  this 
country  is  coming  to! 

[Here  there  is  a  muffled  explosion  in  the  sample 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  103 

piano,  which  rocks  with  the  jar,  at  the  same 
time  emitting  a  few  curls  of  smoke.  General 
exclamations  of  horror  and  fright  as  all  of  the 
committee  break  for  shelter.] 

SHOMBERG  [his  voice  rising  over  the  others]:    Send 
for  the  police! 

SALVATORE  [shouting]:    Wait!    We  ain't  divided 
up  the  money! 

NORA:    It's  over;  it  hasn't  done  any  harm! 
FRANKEL  [on  his  hands  and  knees  under  the  table]: 
It  was  in  that  piano.     [NORA  goes  across  to  the  piano.] 
Look  out,  he's  probably  got  another  one  in  there. 

[MIFFLIN  helps  NORA  to  take  off  the  front  of  the 
piano,  which  is  still  mildly  smoking;  a  wreck 
age  of  wires  is  seen.] 

MIFFLIN  [smiling]:    It  must  have  been  an  ac 
cident! 

FRANKEL  AND  MRS.  SIMPSON  [coming  out  from 
under  the  table]:    Accident! 

MIFFLIN:    Of  course  it's  unfortunate,  because  it 
might  be  misconstrued. 
RILEY:    Yes,  it  might. 

MIFFLIN  [confidently]:    Let  me  go  talk  to  these 
new  comrades! 

RILEY:    Comrades?    Frankel's   wops?    Ha,   ha! 


104  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

SALVATORE:  Aw,  them  ain't  comrades;  them's 
just  FrankePs  hired  workers. 

MIFFLIN:  They  are  comrades  in  the  best  sense 
of  the  word.  I  am  in  touch  with  all  the  groups.  A 
moment's  reasoning  from  one  they  know  to  be 

sympathetic 

[He  goes  out  into  the  factory.] 

SALVATORE:  Hey,  let's  get  that  stuff  divided  up. 
I  got  an  engagement. 

FRANKEL:  Yes;  let's  hurry.  You  can't  tell  what 
they  got  planted  round  here. 

CARTER  [rapping]:    The  meeting  will  please  come 

wvv^L.  SALVATORE:  Here,  cut  that  out!  We  ain't  got 
no  time  to 

SHOMBERG:  No.  Come  to  business;  come  to 
business ! 

NORA:  The  only  way,  comrades,  to  know  how 
much  we  have  gained  since  the  last  division  is  to  read 
the  bookkeeper's  report. 

FRANKEL:  Well,  for  heaven's  sakes,  go  on — read 
it! 

CARTER:  Well,  I  did  want  to  a  long  while  ago, 
when  we  first  set  down  and  begun  the  meeting.  I 
says  then,  I  report  on  my  committee  and 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  105 

VARIOUS  MEMBERS:  Oh,  for  heaven's  sake!  Go 
ahead!  Cut  it  out! 

CARTER  [picking  up  the  sheets]:  On  the  first  page 
is  says  Soomary. 

RILEY:    What's  that  mean? 
*  MRS.  SIMPSON:    Oh,  my  goodness! 

FRANKEL:    Git  to  the  figures! 

CARTER:  Well,  here,  on  one  side  it  says  gross 
receipts 

SHOMBERG  [rubbing  his  hands]:    Ah! 

CARTER:    What? 

SIMPSON  [shouting]:    Read  it! 

CARTER:  Gross  receipts  $2,162.43.  On  the  other 
side  it  says:  "Cash  paid  out  $19,461.53." 

[All  are  puzzled.] 

It  didn't  sound  right  to  me,  even  the  first  time  I  read 
it.  Looks  like  he's  got  the  wrong  words,  crossed 
over. 

FRANKEL:  Why,  gross  receipts  last  month  was 
over  twenty-four  thousand  dollars! 

SHOMBERG:  Yes,  and  that  was  a  fall  off  from  the 
month  before. 

CARTER  [rubbing  his  head] :  Well,  I  don't  pretend 
to  understand  it,  but  he  told  me  all  them  was  mostly 
payments  on  old  sales  anyhow. 


106  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

RILEY:    Read  it  again,  read  it  again! 

SIMPSON:  Yes,  let's  see  if  we  can't  get  what  the 
sense  of  it  is. 

CARTER:    It  says  "Gross  receipts,  $2,162.43"— 
that's  over  here.     "Cash  paid  out,  $19,461.53." 
[All  seem  dazed.] 

RILEY:    What  else  you  got  there? 

CARTER:  As  near  as  it  seems  to  me,  just  a  lot  of 
items. 

SALVATORE:  Well,  we  must  have  a  lot  of  money 
in  the  bank;  what's  the  matter  we  draw  that  out  and 
divide  it? 

RILEY:  Wait  a  minute!  What's  there  besides 
them  items? 

CARTER:  He's  got  a  note.  "Note,"  he  says; 
here  it  is:  He  says:  "Bank  notified  us  this  morn 
ing  we're  overdrawn  $59.01." 

RILEY:    Overdrawn? 

SHOMBERG:  Then  we  got  to  deposit  some  to  our 
account.  Who's  got  charge  of  the  checks  that 
comes  in? 

NORA:  The  bookkeeper  has  charge,  but  there 
aren't  any  checks. 

CARTER:  No,  they  ain't  been  any  checks  com  in* 
in  for  some  days;  a  week  or  so,  or  two  weeks. 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  107 

you   might  say.      We've   looked    everywhere    for 


'em- 


FRANKEL  [aghast]:  You  looked  all  through  them 
letters? 

CARTER  :  They  ain't  none  left  in  'em  that  wasn't 
took  out  a  good  while  ago. 

SALVATORE:  You  ain't  looked  through  the  safe, 
have  you? 

CARTER:  They  ain't  a  one  in  it;  it's  got  me  all 
puzzled  up,  I  tell  you.  I  was  jest  waitin'  for  the 
meeting  to  settle  it. 

FRANKEL:  But  heaven's  sakes!  There  must  be 
checks  comin'  in  from  new  sales! 

CARTER:      It  says  here  sales  has  fallen  off.     So  fur 
this  month  they  was  only  three  instruments  sold. 
-    SIMPSON:     But,  my  gosh,  this  is  the  end  of  the 
month ! 

CARTER  :  They  was  two  sold  in  Council  Bluffs  and 
one  in  Detroit. 

[General  agitation  and  excitement.] 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [trembling  with  rage  and  fear] :  You 
mean  to  stand  there  and  tell  me  we  ain't  goin'  to  git 
any  money  to-day,  and  my  flat  rent  to  pay  to-morrow? 

RILEY:  Don't  talk  about  your  flat  rent  to  me, 
lady !  There's  others  of  us  got  a  few  things  to  pay. 


108  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

SHOMBERG:    But,  my  golly,  when  do  we  git  paid? 

CARTER;    I  can't  make  out  from  what  he's  got 
here. 

SALVATORE  [rapping  fiercely  on  the  table]:    Hey! 
I  got  to  have  my  money ! 
-y  CARTER:    Well,  I  got  to  have  mine,  don't  I? 

SIMPSON:     Go  on.     See  what  else  it  says. 

CARTER:    Well,  here  he's  got  this.     Here  it  says: 
"Bills  payable,   $17,162.48." 

FRANKEL  [leaping  up]:    Bills  payable!    My  God, 
no  money  in  bank,  and  we're  $17,162.48  in  debt! 

MRS.  SIMPSON  [shrieking]:    Who  owes  it? 

SIMPSON:    We  do! 

SHOMBERG:    Who's  goin'  to  pay  it? 

RILEY:    Who  run  us  into  debt  that  way? 

SALVATORE:     That's  the  man  we're  after! 

FRANKEL:    Who's   the   man   responsible   for   us 
bein'  $17,162.48  bankrupt? 
-f~  RILEY  [hammering  the  table] :     Who  run  us  into 

debt  over  seventeen  thousand  dollars? 
+-    SIMPSON:    Well,  give  him  a  chance  to  answer. 

CARTER:    What  do  /  know  about  it?    That's 

v^. 

what  the  report  says.     That's  all  /  know. 

SHOMBERG:    Well,  somebody's  got  us  into  debt. 
And  who  is  it? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  109 

NORA:  It's  all  of  us!  Haven't  we  all  done  this 
thing  together? 

FRANKEL:    Well,  who's  got  to  pay  it? 
NORA:    We've  all  got  to ! 

SHOMBERG,  SALVATORE,  FRANKEL,  AND  MRS.  SIMP 
SON:  You  expect  to  git  blood  out  of  a  stone?  What 
do  you  take  us  for?  You're  crazy!  You  helped  get 
us  into  this!  [SHOMBERG  and  SALVATORE  begin 
shouting  at  each  other.} 

SHOMBERG:  You  pay  me  back  that  twenty-five 
dollars  you  got  from  me  Friday ! 

SALVATORE:    How  I'm  goin'  to  pay  you  twenty- 
five  dollars  when  I'm  seventeen   thousand   dollars 
in  debt? 
SHOMBERG:    I'll  have  that  money! 

[He  takes  a  paper  weight  from, desk.] 
SALVATORE:    You  throw  that  at  me,  I'll  give  you 
a  little  sticker  where  you  won't  like  it! 

[Puts  his  hand  in  the  breast  of  his  coat. 
Murder  appears  imminent.  Sudden  and 
general  dispersal  from  the  neighbourhood 
of  the  combatants,  which  brings  NORA  to 
GIBSON,  unconsciously  seeking  his  protec 
tion.] 
SHOMBERG:  Awa  I  didn't  mean  anything  serious 


110  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

like  that.  [Puts  down  the  paper  weight.]  But  I'll  get 
the  money. 

SALVATORE:  You'll  need  it — to  pay  your  share 
what  we  owe! 

MRS.  SIMPSON:  I'd  like  to  see  'em  get  one  cent 
out  of  me! 

CARTER:  It  ain't  just  us  here  of  course;  they's 
a  hundred  and  seventy  men  outside  the  debt  belongs 
to  as  well  as  us.  The  whole  factory's  got  to  pay  it. 

SIMPSON:  Great  gosh!  Do  you  think  we  can  go 
out  there,  when  they're  expectin'  a  month's  pay,  and 
tell  'em  they're  gettin'  only  a  seventeen-thousand- 
dollar  debt? 

FRANKEL:  And  me,  me,  me!  Look  at  me!  Do  you 
think  I  can  go  out  and  tell  them  thirty-five  blood 
hounds  I  ain't  got  no  money  to  even  pay  their  wages? 

RILEY  [vehemently]:  What's  more,  you  owe 
thirty-five  shares  of  that  debt,  Frankel! 

ALL  [with  vindictive  satisfaction} :  That's  it !  Sure 
he  does!  He  owes  thirty-five  shares  of  the  debt! 
That's  right! 

FRANKEL  :    What  ? 

RILEY:  You  owe  thirty-five  shares  of  the 
seventeen-thousand  debt. 

FRANKEL:  » My  heavens!    Ain't  the  meetin'  just 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  111 

settled  it  I  didn't  have  no  right  to  them  shares  and  it 
was  all  to  be  divided  even? 

Carter:  What  we  got  to  do,  we  got  to  go  out  there 
and  tell  'em  they  owe  this  money. 

FRANKEL:    I  can't  tell  mine! 

SALVATORE:  I  know  one  game  little  fellow  that 
ain't  goin'  to  pay  nobody  nothin'.  Excuse  me,  gents ; 
they'll  have  to  find  me! 

[He  goes  out  hastily  by  the  door  that  leads  to 
the  street.] 

CARTER:  Well,  somebody's  got  to  go  out  there 
and  tell  'em. 

C  SIMPSON:    Well,  I  won't! 
»  MRS.  SIMPSON:    It's  the  chairman's  place. 

CARTER:    We  all  got  to  go! 

FRANKEL:    Not  me! 

SIMPSON:  Yes,  you  will!  [Takes  him  by  the 
shoulders.] 

RILEY  [talcing  him  from  SIMPSON]:    Put  him  first! 
[They  begin  to  jostle  toward  the  factory  door.] 

FRANKEL  [as  they  push  him  he  waves  a  despairing 
hand  at  GIBSON]:  Mr.  Gibson,  that  was  a  fine 
trick  you  played  on  us! 

THE  COMMITTEE  [shouting]:  You  go  on  there! 
Come  on!  We  got  to  take  our  medicine! 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

FRANKEL:    Lemme  alone!     Take  your  hands  off 
me! 

[They  jostle  out,   leaving  NORA  and  GIBSON 
alone  together.     NORA  has  gone  to  the  large 
table,  sitting  beside  it,  with  her  head  far  down 
between  her  hands.     As  the  noise  dies  away 
MIFFLIN  comes  in  from  the  factory .] 
MIFFLIN:    What  wonderful   spirits!    Just   great, 
rough  boys! 

[Smiles  as  he  gets  his  hat,  magazines,  news 
paper,  and  umbrella.] 

Everything  is  working  out.  Some  little  inevitable 
friction  here,  some  little  setback  there.  But  it  all 
works,  it  all  works  to  the  one  great  end.  I'm  sorry 
I  wasn't  present  for  the  end  of  the  meeting  to  hear 
what  success  there  was  this  month,  but  that's  a 
detail.  The  dream  has  come  true.  It's  here,  and 
we're  living  it!  [At  the  door.}  I'll  send  you  a  copy  of 
my  next  article,  Mr.  Gibson.  [Modestly  laughs.] 
They  tell  me  the  series  is  making  a  little  sensation 
in  its  way.  Good  morning! 

[He  goes  out  jauntily.  GIBSON  has  never 
moved  from  his  chair;  he  turns  his  head,  still 
not  rising,  and  looks  fixedly  at  NORA.  She 
slowly  lifts  her  head,  meets  his  eye;  her  head 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  113 

sinks  again.  He  rises  and  slowly  walks  over 
to  her,  looking  down  at  her.  Then,  bending 
still  lower,  she  begins  to  cry.] 

GIBSON :    Well,  Nora,  what  was  the  matter  with  it? 

NORA  [not  looking  up] :    I  don't  know.     What  was? 

GIBSON:  You  needed  a  manager  to  do  what  I  had 
been  doing. 

NORA:  Couldn't  we  have  learned?  Couldn't  one 
of  us? 

GIBSON:    One  of  you  did — Hill. 

NORA:    But  he  left! 

GIBSON:    Why  did  Hill  leave? 

NORA:    Other  people  offered  him  more  money. 

GIBSON:  Yes;  he  was  the  one  man  that  all  the 
rest  of  you  depended  on.  He  was  worth  more. 

NORA:  But  were  you  worth  all  that  you  took? 
You  took  all  that  the  business  made. 

GIBSON:    Yes;  and  last  year  it  was  fifty  thousand. 

NORA:    Were  you  actually  worth  that  much  to  it? 

GIBSON:  Other  men  in  the  business  'think  so. 
[Shows  her  a  letter.]  Here's  an  offer  from  the  Coles- 
Hibbard  people,  out  in  Cleveland,  of  that  much 
salary  to  do  for  them  what  I  did  here. 

NORA:  It  isn't  right;  you  pay  labour  only  what 
you  have  to  pay. 


114  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:  The  Coles-Hibbard  people  offer  to  pay 
me  what  they'd  have  to,  and  they're  pretty  hard- 
headed  men.  The  whole  world  pays  only  what  it 
has  to. 

NORA:    It  isn't  right!    It  isn't  right! 

GIBSON  :  Last  winter  I  saw  you  in  a  three-dollar 
seat  listening  to  Caruso.  Have  you  ever  given  that 
much  to  the  organ  grinder  who  comes  under  these 
windows? 

NORA:    Will  it  always  be  so? 

GIBSON:    I  don't  know.    But  it's  so  now. 

NORA:    But  will  the  plan  always  fail? 

GIBSON:  I  think  it  will  until  human  beings  are 
as  near  alike  as  the  ants  and  bees  are.  Your  system 
is  in  full  effect  with  them,  but  we — we  strive;  even 
in  this  fellowship  here  of  yours  the  striving  began 
to  show. 

NORA  [looking  up  at  him  appealingly];  But  are 
these  inequalities  right? 

GIBSON  [gently,  rather  sadly]:  I  don't  know.  I 
only  know  what  is. 

NORA:    Well — I'm  whipped. 

[Smiles   ruefully,   away  from   him;   then   she 

turns  again  to  him.] 
Are  you  going  to  accept  that  offer? 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  115 

GIBSON:    What  do  you  say? 

[Her  head  droops  again.  Angry  voices  are 
heard,  growing  louder  as  they  approach. 
The  door  is  thrown  open9  and  the  members 
of  the  committee,  noisily  talking,  appear  in 
the  doorway.] 

, FRANKEL  :    It  was  a  bum  deal  all  through ! 

SHOMBERG:  Shovin'  his  run-down  factory  off 
onto  us! 

RILEY  [fiercely]:  You  never  give  us  no  deed  to 
this  plant,  Mr.  Gibson! 

SIMPSON:  They  ain't  a  court  in  the  land'll  hold 
us  to  it! 

CARTER:  No,  sir;  and  we've  voted  this  is  your 
factory,  Mr.  Gibson!  We  ain't  responsible! 

GIBSON:  It  is  my  factory  and  I'm  going  to  run 
it!  Any  man  of  you  not  back  at  work  in  ten  minutes 
on  the  old  scale  of  wages  will  be  fired ! 

[The  members  whoop  with  joy.  FRANKEL  and 
CARTER  both  try  to  shake  hands  with  GIBSON 
at  once.] 

CARTER:  Well,  that's  a  relief  to  me.  Thank  you, 
Mr.  Gibson! 

FRANKEL:     That  takes  a  heap  off  my  mind! 
RILEY  :    God  bless  you,  sir ! 


116  THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT 

GIBSON:    Never  mind   that!    You  go  back  to 
work. 

[Whooping,  the  committee,  in  great  spirits  and 
with  the  greatest  friendliness  to  one  another, 
depart  rapidly.  Closing  the  door,  GIBSON 
turns  briskly  to  NORA,  and  speaks  in  a 
businesslike  way.] 

GIBSON:    Nora,  will  you  marry  me? 

NORA  [meekly]:    Yes — I  will. 

GIBSON:    Will  you  marry  me  to-day? 

NORA  [with  a  little  more  spirit] :    Yes,  I  will ! 

GIBSON  :    Will  you  go  with  me  and  marry  me  right 
now? 

NORA  [more  loudly  and  promptly] :    Yes,  I  will ! 

GIBSON:    Well,  then 

[He  gets  his  hat  and  coat,  then  thinks  of  some 
thing  he  wants  from  his  desk  and  goes  over  to 
get  it.  Meantime  NORA,  not  moving  so 
rapidly  as  GIBSON,  but  more  thoughtfully, 
goes  up  to  the  wall  where  hang  her  jacket  and 
hat,  takes  off  her  apron,  puts  on  the  jacket  and 
hat  and  goes  to  the  door  that  leads  to  the 
street,  where  she  stands  waiting.  There  is  a 
knock  on  the  factory  door,  which  opens  with 
out  waiting,  and  SIMPSON  comes  in.] 


THE  GIBSON  UPRIGHT  117 

SIMPSON:     I  don't  want  to  detain  you  if  you're 

x 
goin'  out,  Mr.  Gibson,  but  there's  something's  got 

to  be  settled.  And  the  men  in  my  department  say 
it's  got  to  be  settled  right  now.  That  wage  scale 
says  we  get  time  and  a  half  for  overtime,  and  the 
men  in  the  finishing  department,  they  ain't  gettin' 
no  time  and  a  half  on  piecework  and  we  never  under 
stood  that  agreement  you  claim  we  signed  with  you 
anyhow.  So  what  we  says,  if  we  don't  get  double 
time  instead  of  time  and  a  half  for  overtime — why, 
Mr.  Gibson,  it  looks  like  them  men  couldn't  hardly 
be  held  back.  Now  what  we  demand  is — 

[He  is  still  talking  as  the  final  curtain  descends 
upon  these  three:  GIBSON  seated  at  his  desk, 
looking  fixedly  at  SIMPSON,  NORA  waiting 
thoughtfully  by  the  door  that  leads  to  the 
street.] 

CURTAIN 


THE   COUNTRY  LIFE   PRESS 
GARDEN    CITY,   N.    Y. 


t 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

AN  INITIAL  FINE  OF  25  CENTS 

WILL  BE  ASSESSED  FOR  FAILURE  TO  RETURN 
THIS  BOOK  ON  THE  DATE  DUE.  THE  PENALTY 
WILL  INCREASE  TO  SO  CENTS  ON  THE  FOURTH 
DAY  AND  TO  $1.OO  ON  THE  SEVENTH  DAY 


ft£C.  CIR. 


JUL  1 4  1991 


JUN  1  9  RECD    91 


LD  21-95m-7,'37 


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